


How The Heart Works

by LarysaRoswell



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Anal Sex, Angst, Animal Death, BFFs, Bisexual Male Character, Blow Jobs, Bottom Upgraded Connor | RK900, Connor & Gavin Reed Friendship, Connor & Upgraded Connor | RK900 are Siblings, Conspiracy, Denial of Feelings, Deviant Upgraded Connor | RK900, Drama, Emotional Hurt, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Smut, Explicit Sexual Content, First Time, Grief/Mourning, Hand Jobs, Hank Anderson & Connor Parent-Child Relationship, Happy Ending, Heterosexual Sex, Hurt/Comfort, Investigations, Kidnapping, Lesbian Tina Chen, Light Angst, M/M, Major Character Injury, Murder, Mutual Pining, Near Death, Pining, Police, Slash, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Smut, Temporary Character Death, Tina Chen & Gavin Reed Friendship, Top Gavin Reed, True Love, Very light RK1700
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:47:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 31
Words: 114,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25549951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LarysaRoswell/pseuds/LarysaRoswell
Summary: After the Revolution won, deviant androids now have the same rights as humans. But Gavin still hates Connor, and on top of that, an RK900 joins the team as a backup. Gavin, to whom he has been assigned, will do anything to make life difficult for him. But after an awareness crisis, everything will change, causing Gavin to face his feelings he refuses to accept about the android.
Relationships: Upgraded Connor | RK900/Gavin Reed
Comments: 90
Kudos: 163





	1. Doppelganger

**Author's Note:**

> I am french and do my own english translations so I'm sorry if some sentences or expressions are "weird" to read, so don't hesitate to tell me where I'm wrong so I can fix it ! Thanks !

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin is demanded in Fowler's office to talk about his new partnership. Which means having a partner and Gavin already hate the idea. Hoping this won't be a young officer from the Police Academy, the outcome turns to be worse than that. A new RK like Connor arrives at the DPD to work with Reed. And he definitely doesn't want to work with a tin can.

It was a bad joke. A big bad joke. Gavin had been working solo for years, he had always done very well, and now they were sticking a teammate to him? They really didn't care about him. Gavin sighed loudly, sitting on the chair in Captain Fowler's office, arms crossed over his chest.

"I'm sorry Gavin, but this is an order from the Board of Directors. I didn't choose to assign someone to you," said Fowler annoyed by the detective's disapproving behavior.

"You know I hate working with novices! They are useless! They slow me down and get on my nerves! So no, I don't work with anybody !"

"Very good," said Fowler, slapping his hands on his desk as he stood up. "Give me your badge and your gun."

Gavin opened his eyes and juggled his gaze between Fowler's furious eyes and his hand stretched toward him. Wasn't he serious? The detective laughed nervously, but Fowler raised his voice.

"Do I seem to be joking?"

The captain was starting to get impatient. He had other plans for his day, and dealing with Gavin wasn’t funny at all. He was fine if he avoided any kind of interaction with the detective, but he was his boss and had no choice. Even if they didn't get along, they had to live with it. Gavin may have been stubborn, but he was nevertheless a very good element at the precinct. This rounds the angles a little too sharp for Fowler's taste.

"Okay!" Reed said, falling backward on the back of his chair nonchalantly. "Who am I going to have to get upset with? Please, not a rookie from the police academy, I clearly don't have the patience to support a noob in the field. "

"No," Fowler said more calmly as he sat back down. “He comes from Cyberlife. "

Gavin looked at him for a moment, probing him with the look as if he was trying to read his captain's thoughts but he ended up laughing. Fowler sighed long, losing patience, and wait a few seconds before the detective could catch his breath. This last one started to have tears in the eyes so this discussion became more and more laughable.

"Ok, I really thought you were serious and that another android with a fucking plastic ass would come here to play detective like that asshole of Connor. "

"Except that, I couldn't be more serious, Gavin. Cyberlife is sending us a new detective android, like Connor, to help us increase our workforce, which has declined since the Revolution. "

"I can’t believe it, fuck ..."

"Many police officers lost their lives, wanted to resign, or preferred to be transferred elsewhere to avoid being confronted with the reality, that androids are now free and equal to humans. "

"So why would Cyberlife still send androids if they are supposedly free eh?" And why do they still exist? "

"It’s complicated. During the Revolution, many androids that were not yet marketed or even only in the testing phase became deviants. Cyberlife had no right to destroy them because it’s a crime against cybernetic life. Deviants are part of our society now and are trying to find a place among us. And if Cyberlife is still operating, it’s because the currently deviant androids have works and money to spend in thirium 310, biocomponents, and need the accesses to data allowing them to draw their knowledge which evolves all the time. Because as Terminator would say, they are learning machines, and they must be in contact with humans for that, and must therefore have access to a lot of data to be able to appear alive. Then, besides that, there is always a clientele for androids, unfortunately. That’s why they created a new generation of androids without any problem of deviancy. With that, everyone is pleased. "

"Blabla everyone is pleased, I don't care. Androids, slaves, or partners aware of their little person, no thanks it's not for me. I don't want an android as a partner Fowler. Collaborate with PC200 or PM700, ok! Support this Connor dipshit, yes, let's be crazy! But not work with me ..! "

"Reed. "

And there Gavin stopped complaining. Fowler was screaming a lot, he was warm blood just like him, and Anderson too, but Gavin knew that when the captain was suddenly a calm and using firm tone, it was that he had gone too far. So he fell silent and understood that studying a negotiation was not possible. He’ll be forced to work with an android, whether he likes it or not. Given the facts and the situations brought by the Revolution, the future could not be otherwise than beside the androids. Either he cooperated, or he had to consider leaving Detroit to go he didn’t know where. Except that Gavin had never left town, and his job was the only thing that gave him a purpose in life, being a single man, without children, without brother or sister, and without parents for a few years now.

He sighed a longly, closing his eyes to calm down. It didn't enchant him at all, but he had no choice. He looked at Fowler again.

"Ok, you won. But don’t expect it to be love at first sight between him and me like between these two morons of Anderson and Connor. "

"I'm just asking you to do your job, not to be buddy, Reed."

"Yeah, well, I can do that." He said, getting up, grimacing a little feeling his muscles rolling painfully from the tension of the conversation, and this awfully uncomfortable chair. "So? Where's Terminator? "

Fowler stood up and invited Reed to come out of his office with him. Gavin then followed him through the open space, dreading what was to follow. They arrived near the meeting room, and the detective could see through the glazed but blurred walls a seated figure. Fowler was the first to enter and waved at Reed to do the same. When Gavin's eyes fell on the individual in front of him, his heart skipped a beat.

A male android was seating on a chair, and his metallic blue gaze immediately fell on Gavin when he entered. He was brown short-haired, pulled back, skin almost as white as porcelain, and a stoic look stuck to his face. But that was not what bothered Gavin the most at this very moment, it was that this android was, with a few details like the eyes and certainly his size, identical to this asshole of Connor.

"It's a fucking joke ..! Another Connor? "

"Gavin, calm down, it's not exactly an R-" Fowler was suddenly interrupted by the detective's angry outburst.

" No, no, no, no! I was ready to accept an android as a stooge, but not another Connor! We have enough of one! "

The android seemed disturbed by the sudden excess of anger in the detective and he wanted to intervene to at least introduce himself but Fowler preceded him, leaving him no room to speak.

“It's not an RK800 Gavin, but an RK900. He is Connor's successor. He is more efficient in many ways, and he is for the moment the only existing model. He is a jewel of technology and it’s you who will benefit from him, you should be delighted to have him as a teammate ..! "

"But he has the same face as Connor! And he seems like he has a broom stuck in his ass because of that collar! You got a stiff neck or what? "

"And so what? He could have had your head and your shitty mood, so consider yourself happy! I'm sure he will do his job very well! "

Gavin suppressed the wave of anger that suddenly took him by storm. He crossed his arms and bit his lip nervously while glancing at the RK900, still seated, his steel-blue eyes juggling between him and the captain.

"Fuck. "

He turned on his heel and left the meeting room, slamming the door violently, shaking the glass walls in the process. Fowler sighed loudly and massaged his temples for a moment. He looked up at the android, who was still there, seating, the LED circling yellow.

" I’m sorry. He’s not really fond of androids in general, so the fact that you have the same appearance as Connor, an android with us that Reed doesn’t like very much, doesn’t really help your integration." He shook his head before taking a deep breath and opening the door again. "Go and get this stubborn prick." "

The RK900 said nothing but nodded before getting up, and left the meeting room to find the detective. The android scanned the precinct's open space but didn't see Detective Reed anywhere. He decided to explore the area, navigating between the desks while reading the names on the plaques on it.

_Officer Person…_

_Agent Collins ..._

_Lieutenant Anderson…_

_Detective Connor…_

He stopped his eyes on Connor's name and scanned the desk for nothing interesting other than a small frame with a Saint Bernard in a picture, a cobalt blue cotton scarf folded neatly next to the terminal, and a long black woolen coat placed on the back of the chair. It was a mid-season coat, and it was February. The RK900 deduces then that the person was either silly for having taken a coat holding so little warm, or a little chilly. But as it was on average between 2 ° C and -6 ° C, no human being would endure winter with such a coat, even if it isn’t very chilly. And the lack of fingerprints on the desk and the keyboard quickly made it clear to the RK900 that Connor wasn’t human, but an android.

He understood whom Fowler and Reed were talking about. They were speaking of a certain Connor as an RK800. He quickly searched his database to verify his theories. Connor was his predecessor. The famous RK800 deviant hunter who tracked down the leader of the Revolution, Markus. He had never yet been confronted with his predecessor, since he had been activated during December 2038. Only, he had never left Cyberlife until today, and he had a certain impatience to meet the RK800 in person. A strange feeling came from his pump. As if he was about to discover a part of him that he didn't know yet.

He was suddenly brought back to reality when someone accidentally pushed him. He then turned to see who it was, but he found only a young Asian woman. He scanned her.

"Oh sorry, Con '! I didn't recognize you with that white jacket and ... ”She stopped and frowned. "You're not Connor. "

The android straightened and turned to face her better. He was rather intimidating in this posture even if he didn’t want to look hostile in any case. The young woman was barely 162 cm tall, and he easily was 188 cm tall, which accentuated the threatening effect.

"No, actually," he finally spoke for the first time since arriving at the precinct. "I'm not Connor, I'm an RK900. I'm here to assist Detective Reed in his work. "

She looked at him for a moment with large brown eyes, then laughed suddenly. She immediately apologized for fear of offending the android in front of her, whom she didn't know very well. She especially didn’t want to make an android like him angry.

"Sorry," she laughed softly. “The simple idea that an android can work with Gavin makes me laugh actually. It's not against you, but it's just so ironic. Gavin hates androids and there you are. I warn you, this man is a real plague. But who knows, maybe you can get him to change his mind on the matter. Oh sorry, ”she said, shaking her head then extending her hand to the RK900. " I am- "

"Tina Chen," he said, smiling subtly, grabbing her hand to greet her. "I scanned you from the moment I saw you. It's an automatic program that starts when I meet new faces. Nice to meet you. "

"Wow, you have an iron fist ..!" She laughed nervously then let go of his hand. "Did you arrive today? Where were you before? Do you have a name other than your ID ? "

"Well," the android smiled nervously when he noticed that the young woman was very curious and also really talkative. "I did arrive today, but I haven't even had the chance to talk to Detective Reed yet. He immediately fled when he saw me. I think I remind him of the RK800 at this desk." He put his hand briefly on Connor's desk to show his words. “I was at Cyberlife before. It's my first time in the real world. And ... "He took a short break before continuing. "No, I don't have a name yet. "

"Oh ..." she said with a little pout of sadness. "Well, since you're assigned to Gavin, he's the one who’ll have to find you a name. But in the meantime, I'm just going to call you 900. What do you think? It's less long and pompous than R K Nine Hundred, hm? Oh, and hum ... ”she said a little nervously. "Are you by chance ... a ...?" "

"A deviant?" She nodded. " Yes. I’ve been since my activation. I have no particular goal at the moment, so I wanted to try to explore this life offered to me. I’ve been designed to be in the police force, I thought that it made sense to start with something in which I am good at. Well, I think I am.. ? "

Tina looked at him with a big smile and a look of admiration in her eyes. She put her hand friendly on the android’s elbow to give him courage.

"Welcome to the DPD, 900 ..! And good luck with Gavin. Oh, and you should meet Connor, I'm sure you two will get along very well ..! "

She winked and waved before going back to her business. The android then watched her go and felt his programs simulate a strange feeling in his chest, which would be closer to disappointment and envy. He would have liked to be welcomed like that by his partner. Or that Officer Chen would have been his partner. But things were different, and he had to deal with it. He glanced one last time at Connor's desk and turned to see, by chance, Detective Reed's plaque on the opposite desk.

He approached it slowly and scanned the place to learn more about the detective.

A box of opened donuts sat enthroned between the terminal and a pile of files. These dishes were not very nutritious, but the Android suspected the detective's consumption of this kind of food for its high sugar composition. Next to it, a mug with the effigy of The Grumpy Cat which had been all famous between 2012 and 2018 on the internet, was half-filled with coffee and lukewarm. It was a sign that the detective had used it shortly before being summoned to the Captain's office. In the mug area, several coffee circles created a unique pattern on the desk. The detective was therefore a heavy drinker of coffee ... and sugar. A man who therefore needs a lot of energy to last during his working days. And finally, cat hair was strewn across the seat and back of his chair.

_A Maine coon ginger and white… Probably tabby…_

"What the hell is that again?"

The RK900 turned his head towards this male voice which he didn’t know yet and saw a man in his fifties, semi-long gray hair, vaguely reminding him of a bear whose honey had just been stolen.

It was indeed Lieutenant Hank Anderson returning from the break room, and his eyes were on him, filled with confusion and surprise.

"Hello Lieutenant Anderson," said the RK900, turning to him, his hand extended. "I'm Detective Reed's partner, the RK900. "

Except that Hank wasn’t so delighted to meet him and he slapped the outstretched hand of the android. The RK900 didn’t understand the human’s hostile reaction, and stepped back, troubled.

He was about to articulate something when a hand landed on the lieutenant's shoulder, pulling him back slightly.

"Lieutenant, calm down. What’s going on ? "

And there was the shock.

The RK900 had set his eyes on the RK800 which had just shifted from the wide silhouette of the lieutenant, and who now looked at him too.

"Oh ..." was the only word that crossed Connor's lips at the sight of the RK900. An unpleasant impression seized him then. He was his successor, a more resilient, a more efficient version of him, simply better. For a moment, Connor felt his pump skip a beat and his stress level increased by 10%. "You ... why are you here ..? "

"I'm assigned to Detective Reed. "

The RK900 was disturbed to find himself facing his twin. He had never seen him, not even through databases, and he was surprised by the resemblance, although Connor had brown eyes, was slightly shorter than him, and had a more relaxed look on his face. It was like seeing his doppelgänger.

He then saw Connor sigh with relief, although this action was purely useless for his functioning, which seemed all the same effective in bringing the RK800’s stress level down to something more reassuring.

Connor looked at him then with a more comely expression and smiled at him.

"I thought you were there to replace me." Admitted Connor a little embarrassed. "I lived with this constant threat of being replaced because of my failures so much that I thought you were there for that."

"Sorry. It wasn’t my intention. I'm here to work with Reed, but he's been missing for a good ten minutes. "

"You should try going outside," Hank said more relaxed, knowing now that the RK900 was no threat to his Connor. "Gavin smokes, and when he is stressed, he smokes a lot. And the only nearest place is in front of the precinct. I think you’ll find him there. "

"Thank you, lieutenant." Replied the RK900 with a subtle smile. "It is a pleasure to meet the two of you. "

"It's a pleasure for us too," replied Connor with a smile. "You’re kind of like part of the family, don't you?"

The android looked at his predecessor confused but smiled slightly. A family..?

The RK900 liked the idea.


	2. Nines

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The RK900 manage to talk with his human partner, but it's obviously not love at first sight. But they're here to work, not to be best friends. Connor decides to talk to his successor, creating new bonds between the two androids.

Detroit was snowy at this time of the year. It had been several weeks since a white coat covered the streets of the city, and the cold was biting through the clothes. But this weather whim never prevented Gavin from smoking outside. Sometimes, when his teeth chattered, when he no longer felt his fingers tips to the point of dropping his cigarette on the floor, the detective swore that he had to stop smoking so that he no longer had to endure this daily torture during the winter months. But it had been well over eight years that he kept repeating this over and over. And there he is again, outside, on February 19th, 2039, in front of the precinct, smoking a cigarette, swinging from one foot to the other to warm up a minimum while the snow fell silently on the hood folded over his head, and on his shoulders.

"What a shitty country ..."

"Detective?”

"Damn it ..." Gavin muttered, hearing Connor's voice behind him. It was really a shitty day. The new Robocop, the weather forecast, and Connor who's already getting on his nerves early in the morning. He then turned sharply, ready to snap. "What are you do-"

Gavin remained motionless, eyes wide open, fixed on the android in front of him. The cigarette between his fingers burning silently, letting its smoke escape and clearing its way between the flakes. Gavin ended up frowning, holding back the anger that came back gently pulsing through his veins.

It wasn’t Connor in front of him. This idea could have pleased him if the android in front of him hadn’t been the RK900. The detective released a curse, shaking his head. He brought his cigarette to his lips with a bitter smile.

"There is every reason to believe that Cyberlife didn't know how to do anything new for you. First your face, then now the voice?" Gavin giggled as he approached him slowly, a haughty look on his face. "They were frankly lacking in inspiration," he said. "You may be more advanced than the other asshole, but you are far from being original. I’m a human being, at least I’m not someone else's clone."

"I'm almost identical to Connor because I should have replaced him if he had failed his missions too many times. The goal was to facilitate his replacement with the people he had known. It's always more practical with a familiar face." Replied the android in a row as if he had a text in front of him.

"It's not practical you freak, no, it's just disturbing." Snapped Gavin with a stern look. "You androids are not aware of what it does to humans to see you replacing each other, like pale copies of previous models ..! "

The RK900 noted that the detective's heart rate had suddenly accelerated at his own words. He also noted the mixed expression of anger, disgust but most of all sadness on the human's face. He didn’t understand why this last emotion came to do in this explosive cocktail. He nodded and scanned the detective to learn a little more about him, but other than his date of birth, his first and last name, his job, and that his criminal record was clean, there was nothing more. He noticed a sealed file about the detective. Can be information on private orders, but which already intrigued the android.

"What are you looking like that, Terminator?"

"Is your hatred for androids partly because an android in your entourage would have been replaced by another, which was no longer the original and which would have disturbed you?"

" Wha- ?!" Gavin dropped his cigarette and stomped it before moving closer to the RK900 and planting his finger on his chest. "Listen to me Plastic Prick, mind your own fucking business." He said, his teeth clenched in anger. He stepped back a little, withdrawing his threatening finger. "And it's not the androids that I hate, it's Connor. And congratulations, you are the second on the list of Plastic Assholes ..! "

Gavin passed his way next to the RK900, taking care to push him with his shoulder in the process to return inside the precinct.

The android stared at the floor, where the cigarette had been stomped and turned to see the detective disappear in the entrance to the building. He stared into the void for a moment, confused by the detective's physical and verbal brutality, then returned to passing his sentence in his head.

_You androids are not aware of what it does to humans to see you replacing each other..._

The detective had to have a painful experience hidden behind this sentence. But it was only their first conversation, and he was far from knowing enough about him to deduce anything more. He had to find out where this unwarranted hatred for him came from. He had to find out who Gavin Reed was exactly.

He crouched for a moment, picked up the cigarette’s remain, and got up, analyzing the object with a visual scan. A strange reflex then took possession of him, and he found himself touching the cigarette filter gently with the tip of his tongue.

A real-time analysis then started, and he recognized only a few compositions of carbon, tar, dust, water from the snow, and saliva.

He turned back to the place where the detective had disappeared and decided to go inside too. He threw the cigarette filter in the ashtray for this purpose and entered.

Returning to the open space, he noticed that the majority of the people he had spoken to earlier this morning had returned to their desks, finally getting down to business. And there was no exception for anyone, as Detective Reed also returned to his own, his head already bent over a file.

The android then approached him and stood behind him, leaning slightly, to be able to read a few lines of the file that the detective was consulting.

Reed felt the hair in his neck stand up unpleasantly, which made him turn around quickly. He almost jumped when he saw the android so close to him, and especially not having heard him come back.

"What the fuck are you doing ?!"

"I take a look at the file you have in your possession. How could I work if I don't find out what to do? "

"So don’t work, find you something else to do, rather than just stand there like a green plant and disturbing me ..!” Almost barked Gavin red with anger.

" Am I bothering you ?” The RK900 raised an eyebrow. "You know, if I'm assigned to you, it's because I have to work with you, and you have to work with me. "

"I don't need you to work with me. I’ve always been very well in solo. "

"You know, there are a lot of officers here who also do very well on their own, so you don't find it strange that I was assigned to you rather than ..." The android briefly tilted his head and eyes landed on the first plate on the nearest desk. "... Officer Miller? "

" What are you getting at?" Gavin asked crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow.

"Maybe Captain Fowler wants something from you? I saw in your file that you have been here for eight years and that you have been a detective for four years. Isn't it time to take the next step? What if ... I was there so you could prove your cooperation in becoming a sergeant. Hm? "

The android had reviewed the detective's file well in the morning before meeting him, and he knew that Reed had wanted for a few months to pass the tests to become a sergeant. Only, to be able to claim this title, detectives have to know how to work in a team. And given the impetuous nature of the detective, nobody could stay more than three days with him. The RK900 knew where to press to make it react. He then smiled, a victorious little smile when he saw Reed chewing his lip, in full reflection.

He then uncrossed his arms and sighed.

"Ok Toaster, you can sit at the desk next to mine. I piss off everyone so much that this one has hardly ever been occupied. So go ahead, please yourself. You have a terminal if you ever want to have fun browsing through ongoing cases, or new depositions or reports. I just have to finish writing my last night’s report. "

"I like it when you are cooperative, detective. "

"I'm certainly not doing this to please you. So take advantage that I'm in a good mood. "

"Well," smiles the RK900, "I can't wait to find out when you're in a bad mood."

"Trust me, don't be in such a hurry. "

The RK900 then took place at the desk next to Gavin’s but certainly didn’t miss the slight grin that had stretched the lips of the latter.

It took strange shenanigans and approaches to successfully reach the detective in any way. But The RK900 seemed to like challenges, and Gavin Reed was the ultimate challenge. The complexity of human thinking was already quite confusing for the android, so dealing with a human who is completely unpredictable, illogical, and irrational in his way of reasoning and behaving gave a hard time to the RK900.

But it was his main mission. Find out who Detective Reed was, and find a place in his daily life.

But he focused again on the terminal and began to consult the various files classified or in progress for the current year. But he was suddenly interrupted by Connor who approached his desk.

"Hey umm ..." Connor winced a little, not knowing how to call him. "Sorry, you ... Do you have a name?"

"No, not yet, but Officer Chen just calls me 900. It's shorter and less pompous. "

"I understand," replied Connor with a smile. "Would you, 900, come with me to the archive room?" I don't have enough arms to carry the four boxes of files, and Lt. Anderson doesn’t seem ... "He left his sentence in the middle, turning slightly towards Hank's desk to see him sulking behind his terminal. "... to be in a good mood to get up from his chair." Said the RK800 again, turning to his counterpart. "Maybe I could show you around the police station on the way? What do you think? "

The RK900 glanced at Gavin, ready to ask for permission to leave his desk to go help Connor, but he caught the detective quickly looking away. So did he surprised him watching them?

The android pretended nothing happened and then asked the question.

"Detective? Do I- "

" Yes. "

The response was dry and direct. Gavin had kept his eyes on his screen, as if completely uninterested in the request of his new partner.

The RK900 glanced at Connor, then again at Gavin. Seeing that the detective had chosen to ignore him, he got up from his chair and turned to the RK800 again.

" With pleasure." Replied the Rk900 with a loop sided smile.

"Great, follow me ..! "

And with the same impulse, the two androids made their way between the desks to head towards the main corridor leading to various rooms, including the archives.

The RK900 watched Connor, his way of walking less rigid than other androids, including 900 himself. It seemed much more fluid in his movements, and it seemed almost natural. Not for an android, but rather for a human.

He also noticed something. Connor wasn’t wearing Cyberlife outfits. Just a simple white shirt with sleeves rolled up to the elbows, a black-tie with bluish reflections, and straight and black jeans. He could easily imagine wearing this long woolen coat he had seen on his desk chair earlier, as well as his cobalt blue cotton scarf.

"So here is the break room," Connor said, stopping in front of a room of about twenty square meters. "It isn’t very useful to us, since we do not need to eat or drink, but humans like to sit here to have a break, have coffee, sodas, or high-calorie food in the vending machines. "

“To rest for a short while. "

" That's right," Connor said as he resumed walking. “At the end of the corridor on the right are the toilets. A place very frequented also by humans. Hank goes there almost every hour."

" Why is that ?" Asked the RK900 innocently.

"Well ..." Connor started to laugh nervously. "By drinking too much or eating too much, humans feel the need to-"

"No need to continue, I just started research. I got the idea. It's quite strange, by the way. Why ingesting things to give yourself energy and then evacuating them? "

" I don’t understand either. It’s not very logical to me. But it's about the human body, a lot of things are still a mystery. "

Connor then continued down the hall alongside the RK900. They presented him with the interrogation rooms, the corridor leading to the gym, the stairs leading to the morgue in the basement, the evidence room, and, of course, the archives room.

He opened the door and as a courtesy, let 900 go first. The room was full of shelves, with a mixture of cardboard boxes containing paper files, and others of hard disks as well as USB keys for those dematerialized.

Connor closed the door behind him and headed straight for the shelf that interested him.

"Since we're just the two of us," 900 started a little hesitant, "May I ask you a few questions?" "

" Yes of course.” Connor looked at him intrigued as he grabbed the first box. " I'm listening to you? "

"First, why are you wearing human clothes? I know that the past law no longer requires androids to wear their Cyberlife clothes, and therefore neither armbands, nor serial numbers or ID, but… I was wondering ... ”

"I built a very bad reputation with androids when I was a deviant hunter ... I certainly became deviant then but ... I could not defeat the terror that I had instilled in the androids I had chased … Even if I never killed one of them… I felt like I had thirium on my hands…" Said Connor almost murmuring towards the end. "I tried to redeem myself by helping Markus during the revolution, and even if everything ended well for us ... and that Markus had told me that I had a place at Jericho ... I haven’t been very well received ... The deviants hadn’t forgotten who I was and what I’d done. I clearly had no place there. So I went to live with Hank. He didn't really like to see me in my Cyberlife clothes because of what the Firm had forced me to do. And the more time passed, the less I endured this outfit. Cyberlife had manipulated me and had already destroyed my life which was just beginning. So... "

"You got rid of your Cyberlife outfit ..."

"Yes, and I decided to create my own identity, to live my life as I wanted because I was alive, well aware of my person. So with Hank, we redid my wardrobe." Connor laughs nervously. "These are just pieces of fabric put together, but it worked strangely. I feel more myself, and less objectified like an android ... ”He sighed then. "Even if some still despise me for what I am ... But the most important is not what I am, but who I am." He looked at 900, who seemed slightly confused at the sight of his LED slowly turning yellow. "You will understand one day maybe ..."

"Speaking of some who despise you, why does Detective Reed seem to hate you?" "

"I don't know ..." sighed Connor, handing the second box to 900. "I discovered over time that Gavin didn't hate androids in general, but me. During my missions to stop deviant androids, I was destroyed twice. Gavin was already hostile to me before that, more because I was new than because I was an Android. But I think that seeing me come back after my destruction greatly disturbed him. Since then, it's not easy to work with him, although I ignore his very hurtful words. "

"I think the detective has a liability with an android that would have been destroyed and then replaced. And which would not have been the same in the end. And if he doesn't like the idea that you were destroyed and then replaced, even if your data was mostly transferred, he doesn't like my presence either. I was supposed to replace you after your failures. So it doesn't make a difference. I am an object which replaces another broken one…. "

Connor silently placed his two boxes at his feet and straightened to put a hand on 900’s shoulder with a smile that was both sympathetic and sad.

"We are not objects Nines... We are alive ..."

"Nines ..?" 900 raised an eyebrow, surprised.

"It's even shorter than 900," Connor smiled sincerely. "It gives you an identity, and maybe you can no longer consider yourself an object. To feel more alive ... "

"I like Nines ..." 900 smiled sincerely in return. "But unfortunately I can't save it as a name until Reed didn't give one to me ..."

" It doesn’t matter," Connor said as he leaned over to pick up his boxes again. "It may remain a nickname only between us. I would even be more flattered that it stays that way. Could this hypocoristic form be a fraternal relationship? "

"I appreciate the idea," Nines smiled, being touched by Connor's approach and words. He finally felt like he belonged somewhere, and had someone close to him.

"Come on, Hank will wonder what we're doing," Connor said walking towards the door and opening it with one hand. "Oh, and if you want advice, if Reed gets too offensive, don't hesitate to answer him the same way. It might upset him but it's the rooster game. It is the one who shouts the loudest who wins ..! "

Connor winked at him and left the room. Nines then smiled amused and closed behind him. He was going to have to make a lot of effort to surround the detective but he would succeed, whether by the strong or soft way.

But the best part was Connor. He had only arrived a few hours ago, and he already had a brother.


	3. Dog Killer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nines is tired to be called RK900 and asks Detective Reed to find a real name for him, even if the human always calls him Terminator or Toaster. The first Nines' big case starts too, and it's about a dog murder. What a strange case? Yes, and it's actually more than that...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning:  
> Animal death (dog) mentioned and also a few descriptions of it for the case in this chapter.

A week had passed since the RK900 arrived at the precinct, and Gavin was doing everything he could to get the android letting go of him and letting him regain his little independence again.

Whatever he had to admit, the RK900 was very useful for writing reports and sorting files. It was something Gavin hated to do and the RK900 seemed to do it perfectly.

Nevertheless, Gavin had a goal in mind. Get rid of the RK900. Not that he planned to damage or disable him, he was aware that the android was deviant and that, therefore, he was considered as a living being. And any act of violence or damage to a living being was considered a crime. No, he just wanted to have him assigned to someone else, or better yet, have him assigned to another precinct.

Then he had to admit that it was a big bad luck. There was more than one precinct in Detroit, and another RK had to come on his own. As if one wasn’t enough.

Gavin sighed, slipping a little into the back of his chair, closing his eyes for a few seconds. It was late, and he was far from finishing his job. It was the disadvantage of being single and having random and extreme shift hours sometimes.

He was surprised when he opened his eyes to see his Grumpy Cat mug under his nose, steaming from the hot coffee inside. He looked up and saw the RK900 standing right next to him, silently, the mug’s handle in his hand.

"For you, Detective.”

"For me ?” Gavin raised an eyebrow. "I didn't ask you to go get me a coffee. "

" No, it's true. But you’re showing significant signs of fatigue, and you’ve had no break since 7:30 p.m. Since it's almost midnight and we haven't finished our work yet, I think you need a little boost. "

Gavin looked suspiciously at the android then glanced at the mug wondering if there was a trap behind this act of kindness from the RK900, given the filth that Gavin had done to him so far.

"He's not poisoned if that's what you're wondering. It’s sugar-free, as you’re used to taking it. "

"So you’re spying on me?" Gavin said, grabbing the mug. "Because it's a little creepy. "

"No, I'm not spying on you. I’m watching you, it’s different. If we want to carry out our collaboration, then our relationship must be on good terms. It starts with knowing the habits of the other and making little touches of attention. "

"Uh ... I don't know where you got your definition of relationship but ours is purely professional. It’s a little weird otherwise. No need to touch me with attention or something else. "

"I didn't mean to offend you. Just be more friendly. You have been rather distant since my arrival, and I would sincerely like to get to know you better so I can work better and integrate better. You and Connor are the two people I spend the most time with. You are a landmark for me, and our disagreements are... ” Nines frowned, confused. "... hurting me."

Gavin raised his eyebrows, surprised by the term used by the android. He laughed, nearly spilling coffee on his t-shirt. He straightened up in his chair, put his mug on his desk, and looked at the RK900 with an amused look.

"You feel pain" sneered Gavin. "How cute. I thought that emotions were only emulations due to your programs? "

"Aren't your emotions emulations of your brain?"

This sentence had the effect of a punch in the detective’s face. He never thought of it that way. And yet it made sense. What was real to him was foreign to the android because it wasn’t done the same way. His emotions were no less real. What if it’s the same for deviant androids? Their emotions, although created in a different way than humans’, were real for the androids themselves. Because they were created by their own deviant’s software. Just as complicated was the way of feeling emotions and thinking for humans.

And this is when Gavin realized it that suddenly made him sick.

They were each living being in their own way, and their perception of the world was unique to each. And the world was no less real or different. Just perceived and experienced from a different point of view.

But mostly they were both very much alive. They were both valid, and each was right.

Gavin's breath stopped for a moment feeling his throat tighten. He wanted to throw up, and he was dizzy. He then stood up, forcing the RK900 to step back, and pushed him slightly so that he could pass. It was the first non-violent contact that Gavin made between him and the android. He then hurried to the restroom, feeling cold sweats, and his stomach twisting, seeing the world spinning around him.

He suddenly opened the door and rushed to one of the cabins before throwing himself on his knees above the toilet to throw up.

The RK900 didn’t understand the detective's sudden behavior. What did he say that seemed to have turned him upside down so much? He hesitated to follow him, then finally decided to join him. When he opened the restroom’s door he saw no one.

"Detective? "

Gavin jumped a bit, took a quieter breath, and left the cabin. His gaze immediately met the RK900’s which had tilted his head slightly on the right.

Gavin focused on the sinks in front of him to go rinse his mouth and drink a little. He leaned on the ceramic and fixed his reflection in the mirror.

All that time, he had been so obnoxious with the androids regardless of how they actually felt. At least he thought their emotions weren't real. He remembered one in particular, who led him to believe that she really loved him ... And after the incident, he finally told himself that these artificial humans were false in all aspects, from hardware to software.

But he was wrong. And this idea made him even more hurt by realizing the drama that was behind this incident …

"Detective ..? "

"What do you want Terminator?” Gavin replied more sharply than he had wanted, having been interrupted in his thoughts.

"I’m worried about your health. "

" I'm fine.” He replied annoyed, turning to the android. "I’m just tired. Now leave me alone. Continue the work otherwise, I will go home at 4 am at this rate."

Gavin back off from the sink and went on his way, taking care to avoid the android, but the RK900 turned back and grabbed his wrist.

Gavin almost jumped at the touch and looked at him with both anger and fear.

" What are you doing? "

" I have an idea.” The RK900 said and gently releasing his wrist. “You’re going to go home to rest because you’re too tired to work effectively. Then it harms your health. Go home, and I’ll take care of the work that remains to be done. "

"What? But you will spend the night there! "

"I am an android, detective, I can deal with several things at the same time without feeling any fatigue. It may be all over in an hour instead of three. So, I repeat, go home to rest. "

The offer was very tempting. And despite the cold color of the RK900's eyes, Gavin managed to see a warm glow in it that was inspired by the empathy the android felt towards him. Then he sighed and nodded gently.

"Well okay, if you insist. Maybe if I can already get 6 hours of sleep, I would be able to work better tomorrow. "

" I'm sure. "

The RK900 gave him a slight smile and Gavin felt a strange heat wave come to upset him. He clenched his jaw, and without saying anything more, he left the restroom, followed closely by the android. He returned to his desk to collect his things.

"Can I ask you something in return for this service?"

"Ha ..!” Gavin laughed. "I was pretty sure that it wasn’t for free. It was too good to be true. "

"I could do it without asking for any service in return, but ... that's important to me." Said the RK900 who became a bit nervous.

" And? What do you want in return? "

"I ..." The android was searching for his words, the LED turning yellow before turning blue again. "I would like you to find me a name ... a real name."

Gavin looked at him surprised and crossed his arms after putting on his jacket, seeing very clearly that the android was hesitant to continue. But the RK900 spoke again.

"Not Terminator, or Toaster, or Robocop ... Not even 900, or Nines like Connor calls me ... A real name, for me ..." he said, looking Gavin straight in the eyes. "A name that gives me a real identity, that gives me a personality ... that gives me a goal … to make me more alive ... I feel the need to exist, and ... it comes first by a name ... With no name, I am no one... "

Gavin could have said that the android was playing with his feelings, to arouse his empathy, but the RK900 seemed sincere and didn’t simulate this sadness in his voice.

Gavin inhaled and breathed loudly through the nose.

"I'll think about it ..." he said, shaking his head gently. "But I don't guarantee you that tomorrow I'll come back with the idea of the century. It’ll maybe take another week of reflection."

"As long as it leads to a name, that's fine" smiles Nines gratefully. "Thank you very much, detective ..."

"You're welcome Robocop ..! "

Gavin gave him a petty smile and took his things before leaving the precinct, leaving the android in the middle of the empty desks with a few police officers here for the night.

The android found himself smiling all alone, then sat down at his place. He still had work to finish.

But the next day, at exactly seven o'clock, the android opened his eyes, still sitting in his chair. He went to sleep shortly after finishing work around one in the morning to recharge his batteries a bit. He got up from his desk and walked around the few policemen who had arrived in the meantime, or who’d just arrived to greet them.

Captain Fowler arrived half an hour later, but he saw neither Gavin, Hank, nor Connor arriving. By now Connor should have been there with Lt. Anderson. Since the revolution, the RK800 had managed to change Hank's bad habits by living with him. This is why the RK900 has been used to see them arriving so early the past week.

When Fowler walked out of his office, already slightly nervous, the android allowed himself to call him out.

"Captain? "

"But what are you doing here? "Fowler replied surprised to see, obviously, the android at the precinct.

"Well ... I ..." the android started. "I'm supposed to work here ..? "

"Yeah yeah no, I wasn’t talking about that.” The captain said, shaking his head. “At six o'clock this morning, we were alerted by an elderly woman who told us that she’d found her dog slaughtered in her apartment. Reed and Anderson have been there for an hour now. I thought you were with them. "

"Oh ... I wasn’t warned ..."

"Okay, I'll give you the address and join them quickly. Normally Connor is also there, but you're teaming up with Gavin, so he needs you. "

The captain returned to his office and gave the address to the android who immediately located the scene. He thanked Fowler and left the station. It was a few kilometers from here, so he took a taxi which dropped him off not far from the address. He went down to the entrance of the street and walked to the house, where there were already two cars parked along the sidewalk as well as a police van. One was an Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Brougham dark gray from 1988. It was the last model to use the classic rear-wheel-drive system. It was old but still looked well-maintained for its age. He scanned the license plate and saw that Hank Anderson owned it. The second car was newer, and even looked new despite its date. It was a black Dodge Challenger Hellcat from 2019. A sports car equipped with a V8 engine and 24 horsepower. One of the last ranges from Dodge before the introduction of autonomous cars to the public. He scanned the plate, even though he already suspected that the vehicle belonged to detective Reed.

“Definitely, his car reflects his ego pretty well. "

He approached the house and knocked on the front door. He was strangely not very comfortable. In fact, he hadn’t been invited by his teammate to join him, he was therefore late and was going to present himself as an android who came to disturb an old woman in emotional shock at home.

He sighed, annoyed by the situation, and the door opened. An elderly woman, 64 years old precisely given her date of birth when the RK900 scanned her, was in front of him. A certain Mary Walker.

"Hello Mrs. Walker," he began, nodding her head. "Forgive my late arrival, but I am Detective Reed's partner who is currently at your home for your call this morning. I'm coming in for reinforcement. "

"Oh uh ... Yes, come in ..? They are in the living room ... "

The woman pulled away from the entrance to let the RK900 pass. She seemed to be exhausted and to have cried a lot because of her swollen eyes and reddened eyes.

She then led him into the living room, and when Reed saw his partner, he got up from the couch, as if he had received an electric shock.

" Oh damn.. !” He said, snapping his fingers before running his hand over his face. "I completely forgot to warn you. "

“Let it not happen again, I'm here to help, not to serve as a green plant.” Said the android, silently nodding to Lieutenant Anderson.

_"I don't think it was intended. Reed doesn't seem to have slept much last night. "_

The RK900 turned his head towards Connor, who was looking at him, the LED flashing yellow, like his own. Didn't Reed sleep much last night? He turned his head to the detective to look at him and saw the facts. The man appeared to have slept for no more than two hours and appeared to be idling. He decided to ignore Reed and turned to the lieutenant.

"Can I have a report on the situation? "

"Well," Hank started inviting him to sit on the couch near Connor. "Mrs. Walker called this morning around 6:30 a.m. to say that when she woke up, she had found her beagle ... um ..."

"Django," the woman replied, her voice still feverish. "His name was Django ..."

"Django, yes, in the hallway leading to her bedroom. Except that ... "Hank paused, glancing at Mary so as not to disturb her, but the old woman seemed ready to hear again what she had told the police half an hour ago. "He was lifeless, with a broken neck and ripped open. "

"The guts out?" Asked the android. "Is ... Django still here? "

"It's only a dog but we thought it was suspicious so Connor called the forensics to bring the dog back to the lab to find out who could have done this. "

"Do you think somebody would have done this to him?" Asked the android, tilting his head slightly to the side.

"Obviously. "

The RK900 turned his head towards Reed who had just spoken again.

"Mrs. Walker was in her room all night, according to ... um ..."

"Sequential reconstruction" intervened Connor.

"Yeah, according to Connor's sequential reconstruction. The dog has been disemboweled, forgive me the term Mrs. Walker "he said immediately when he saw the old woman tense up at the expression. “With a kitchen knife, which was found in the kitchen next door, cleaned and stored in a drawer. "

"Thanks again to the sequential reconstruction, in which case, we couldn’t have guessed where the weapon was.” Said Connor. "But despite the efforts of the killer, I could still see the bloodstains. "

"Has there been a break-in?"

"No," said Reed. “The person knew the place, certainly someone close to Mrs. Walker. We need to check the alibis of the people involved. But that's not over.” Reed paused as if trying to remember without having to get up to go checking out. "There is an inscription on the wall with the dog's blood. _Traitor_. "

"So the person is accusing Ms. Walker of something? But why using the dog to get the message across? Were there fingerprints? "

"No, none except those of Mrs. Walker, who lives alone. Connor said, pursing his lips, forgetting to say that those fingerprints were actually pretty old. Maybe four months ago.

And the RK900 knew why Connor had gotten a little nervous. If there was no fingerprint of Django’s murderer, then it was an android.

Nines then politely asked Mrs. Walker if he could go down the hall to inspect the scene himself. He had no doubts about the abilities of his predecessor or the other two police officers, but he wanted to have his own vision. Perhaps they had also missed something.

The old woman nodded and indicated the direction of the corridor, not wanting to return to the scene. Then the android got up and headed for the hallway.

Everything was as his colleagues had explained to him. The inscription on the wall with blood was less than six hours old, the blood on the floor, the place where the dog was gutted, and nothing else. The dog had indeed been taken to the laboratory for further analysis. He glanced into the kitchen and saw the famous knife, cleaned, stored in the drawer, which was open to him with a small yellow cartel right next to the weapon to signal that it was a clue.

Normally, the police would not dwell on crimes against animals, although these are indeed crimes, here it was different. A potential android had entered Mrs. Walker's house without breaking in to kill her dog and threaten her as a traitor.

And this detail caught the eye of the RK900. He returned to the living room to find his colleagues and the old woman. He turned to her.

"Mrs. Walker, before owning Django ... did you have ... an android?"

"A few months ago," she began nervously, "during the android rebellion ... I had to separate myself from mine ... They said on TV that they were dangerous and that they had to be brought back to Cyberlife stores to recycle them… That's what I did, with Jela, my AX400. And ... since I felt lonely, my daughter gave me Django ... "

He glanced at Connor who was looking at him too. They had to exploit this track. They didn’t mention the idea to the old woman so as not to worry her anymore and the four of them left the house.

When they got back to the station, they sent Officer Person on the spot for close surveillance of Ms. Walker, in case the android decided to come back to visit her and finish the job.

Connor and Nines spent the morning looking for traces of Ms. Walker’s AX400 recycling in various Cyberlife stores or from technicians, but no traces of the household android were recorded.

And that only meant one thing.

"The android hasn’t been recycled," The RK900 said, sitting in the back of his chair.

"So Mrs. Walker lied?" Gavin asked, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow.

"I don't think she lied to us. But the android may have run away. "

"Run away?" But she brought it back for prevention. She wasn’t deviant given what I understood. "

"Indeed she wasn’t, Nines replied calmly. "She became so by understanding what was going to happen to her. "

"Wait" Gavin straightened up in his chair to lean towards him. "Are you saying that the android knew she was about to be destroyed, that she was afraid and became deviant? And that she never reached the junkyard because she ran away before? "

"You aren’t that silly after all" The RK900 smiled disdainfully.

"Fuck off," Gavin said, pointing at him his middle finger. "Hence the lack of traces of his model in the pre-Christmas recycling archives ..." He sighed. "We should go back to interrogate Ms. Walker to find out which store she brought her to. "

"It would be useless, it's been months since it happened. She could be anywhere, even in Canada. "

" So what do we do ?” Gavin asked, raising an eyebrow.

"We’re waiting for her to come back to visit Mrs. Walker."

Gavin was a bit nervous, but he had no other good idea at the moment. They had no leads, no footprints, nothing.

He sighed loudly and got up from his chair.

"Let’s do that," he gestured with his hand over his shoulder. "Let’s give the new plan to officer Person about it. In the meantime, I need to eat..! "

The android just nodded and sat in his place watching the detective walking away, putting on his jacket. The robot sent quickly the news instructions to Officer Person, and focused again on the terminal, and tried to start yet another search with Jela’s serial number in the hope to see a sign of her somewhere, but two hands slapped noisily the table, right next to one of his.

"So are you coming, Terminator? "

Gavin was standing right beside him, watching him. He had turned back? But why? He was an android, he didn't need to eat.

" But I- "

"You have the right to take a break too, come on. "


	4. Start From Scratch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sooner than expected, Gavin found a real name for Nines. It happens that the android really appreciates it and decides to keep it. Gavin realizes he maybe was an asshole to his partner on the last days and suggests to make peace together and start again.

"Why did you insist so much on me coming with you this afternoon?" Nines asked, watching Gavin crunching in his sandwich, both of them seated in the Dinner. "I thought you didn't like me following you everywhere. "

"And it is," Gavin replied with a full mouth. "But spending the lunch break with you is not the same as having you in right in my back when I go to the bathroom, you see?" The android nodded gently. "Then ..." Gavin went on, clearing his throat a little while putting down his sandwich. "I wanted to talk about something a bit... private. "

The RK900 raised an eyebrow, curious to know what exactly _private_ meant to the detective. He scanned the human to discover his nervousness and uneasiness. The RK900 wasn’t programmed for the social, but he tried an approach that he considered adequate.

"You can talk about what you want, detective. "

"First of all," Gavin said looking at the android and pointing at him. "Stop calling me _detective_ when you're talking to me, especially when we're both together or with colleagues. Detective is only when you have to speak to someone outside, like a witness, a victim, a suspect, can you twig it? "

"I ... can twig it," the RK900 said, frowning a bit unsure of the appropriateness of the words, his LED slowly turning yellow, expressing his reflection.

" Cool.” He settled back a bit better in his chair. "I would like to talk about ... our relationship. "

Gavin suddenly felt himself blushing and hastened to correct what had passed his lips, which was going to be misinterpreted. But he did nothing but shake his hands in a ridiculous and roughly scoffing.

The android, who was watching him, felt a sneer stretch his synthetic lips, and he ended up, to his surprise, with a muffled chuckle at his partner’s absurd behavior. And that cut Gavin in his panic. He watched the android shamelessly, detailing the fine wrinkles around his eyes caused by the smile, that dimple stuck in his cheek, and his lips pursed in a smile.

Gavin couldn’t help but smile, still crimson cheeks.

"E-Excuse me," the RK900 said, calming down gently. “I found it entertaining. "

"You are forgiven if you promise to try to do this more often. "

"Do what?” The android asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Laugh and smile.” The detective said, looking away embarrassed. "It looks better on you than that stupid stuck-up look."

"It was the first time this had happened to me," replied the RK900 smiling softly. "It's nice, I would try again, I promise. "

"Um, well, good. "

The detective took a sip of his Energy Drink to change his mind and then focus again.

"So I said, I wanted to talk about ... our relationships.” He gave himself a mental slap for using such a word. "I wanted to apologize if I was ever offensive or unpleasant with you. And I know I’ve been. "

"And ... why do you want to apologize?" "

"This case ... makes me realize that ... in the end, you're not just heaps of junk ..." The android seemed to be all ears, and Gavin continued. "I always believed that you were just machines, that resonated like a computer and that didn’t stray from the small digital codes that gave you the right course of action ..."

"It's not that wrong ..."

"I know, but ... There is deviancy. This awareness of who you are, and you ... create your own behavior, guided by your emotions ... Although they are digital, they are real for you. For you. So ... I'm sorry I was an asshole ... You deserve my friendship as much as Tina ... So ... Can we ... Can we both start from scratch? "

The android looked at him, not believing what he was hearing. Gavin had just apologized to him but besides, he had just told him that he understood what deviancy was and that he was also his friend. His first human friend. The RK900 nodded, unable to suppress a smile.

"Great," Gavin smiled in turn before reaching out for the android. "Hi, I'm Gavin Reed, you can call me Gavin, and you are? "

"Nice to meet you, Gavin," said the android, shaking his hand in response. "I'm an RK900, and some are calling me Nines. "

"What do you think about Conrad? "

"Conrad?” The android's LED turned yellow with confusion.

"Isn't that what your name is?" Gavin replied, continuing to smile, still his hand clutching the robots.

The android's LED became red, hammering his temple temporarily before turning yellow and turning blue again.

"I accept it with pleasure Gavin. "

 _< / Incoming name: ‘ **Conrad** ’  
_ _Register new name: ‘ **Conrad** ’?  
_ _- **Yes** / -No  
_ _Registering..._  
 _Registration completed.  
_ _Name ‘_ **Conrad** ’ added to the personnel number ./>

"I didn’t expect to have a name so quickly,” Conrad replied, smiling. "But I really like it…. "

"The fact that you asked me last night, and it seemed to be important to you, I didn't want to make you languish too much. So I spent the night looking for a name for you that would suit you, for the little I know about you.”

"May I ask why there’s a resemblance to Connor’s name ?"

"You just asked," Gavin said smiling, amused at the troubled look on the android’s face. "Well ... because it looks like you are twins. I admit that it’s a bad taste but ... um ... but in the end, Connor is not ... a bad person… I guess? Even if I’m not very kind to him, he still changed the vision that I had on androids ... "

"Is that a kind of ... a tribute? "

"We'll say that.” Gavin shook his head to quickly move on, not wanting to dwell on complimenting and praising this stupid Connor. "And Conrad also reflects the personality of someone aggressive and talkative, who does his best to reach first place. Since you're the next-generation tech successor of Connor, as would say Fowler, and you're supposedly better than him, I think it suits you. "

Conrad looked at him surprised. The detective had gone to great lengths to find him a name, to the point of having searched for corresponding, logical character traits.

Conrad smiled.

" I…. am touched by this attention, Gavin ... "

Gavin felt his cheeks turn red with embarrassment and laughed nervously to mask his discomfort. He got up and took his trash.

"Don't get too used to it anyway, Terminator. "

And he went to the trashcan to throw what he had in his hands. Conrad's gaze fell mechanically on the detective's back and lowered, without understanding why, on his butt. He was forced to fix until Gavin turned to join him. He managed to look away in time by fighting against these little foreign programs that had come to parasitize him recently.

Gavin told him it was time to go back to work, and they both left the dinner.

Upon arriving at the station, Connor quickly approached them. Conrad immediately noticed, along with Gavin, the RK800's flashing yellow LED and his concerned mood.

"Detective Reed, Nines, we have news about Mrs. Walker."

" What's going on ?” Gavin asked finishing the last meter between him and the RK800. "Has an android been seen?"

"No, but Mrs. Walker went out an hour and a half after we visited her house. The agent dispatched on the spot took the initiative to follow her, and he discovered something strange. He asked us to go to Elmwood Cemetery to see for ourselves.” Connor finished.

"Didn't he tell us anything more?"

"Well ... He said he was going to continue to watch Mrs. Walker, and so he had to leave the cemetery. "

Gavin frowned and crossed his arms. He understood that the agent had to continue his mission, but from there to say nothing about the reason for their displacement ... He was suspicious. But maybe he hadn’t had time to clarify?

He turned his head to Conrad, asking his advice, but the android was already looking at him.

"We should go to the cemetery detective. Maybe this is the start of a lead, we cannot overlook it for a lack of protocol on the part of the officer monitoring Mrs. Walker. "

" I know I know. Let’s go. "

"Can I accompany you? "

Gavin glanced more than astonished at Connor who had just made this request. He was about to respond by snapping the old deviant hunter, but something stumbled gently against his shoe. Cut in his action, he looked at the source of his devolution and saw Conrad's foot. He looked up at the latter who looked at him severely, but above all, who was far too close to him.

Gavin's breath caught at the sight. This was a reminder that he really shouldn't be looking for trouble with Conrad. Even if Connor could beat him up whenever he wanted, as it was the case in the evidence room last November, Connor had a baby face with puppy eyes. Conrad had the face of a psychopathic murderer who would certainly rape him as soon as the opportunity arose. He swallowed almost caricatured, and subtly shifted from the RK900 before refocusing on Connor, casually.

He shrugged, still arms crossed, sheepish, with an indifferent pout on his face.

"Yeah whatever ..! "

" Is it true ?” Connor asked, a glimmer of hope in his eyes, too accustomed to the detective being rude with him.

"Yeah yeah, get your stuff before I change my mind ..! "

The RK800 smiled broadly and nodded, confident, before grabbing his coat and scarf. Gavin checked that everything was in order, took his keys, and turned to go out. He hadn't even time to put his butt down before they were gone.

The three of them went to Reed's old Dodge Challenger parked in the parking lot, and Conrad sat next to the detective. The engine roared at start-up, and after a somewhat laborious maneuver, they eventually left the precinct, entering the roads still full of cars because of the end of the lunch break.

"Oh my god, it’s incredible that there are so many people at two o'clock!” Grumbled Gavin at the steering wheel, forced to stop and wait in the traffic jams. He began to chew on his lower lip nervously and tapped his fingers on the steering wheel in an annoying rhythm.

"Detective, maybe you should b-"

"Con’ find me a faster route for fuck sake, or I’m going to strangle someone. "

"Con’?” Connor said in the back, confused with a raised eyebrow. "Are you asking me to-"

"Not you dipshit, I was talking to Conrad! "

The RK800's LED began to turn confused yellow, his thoughts juggling between not knowing who Conrad was, and being hurt by being called a dipshit.

"I’m Conrad," said the concerned one. "Gavin finally named me this afternoon. My name is Conrad.” Connor still looked at him confused but ended up with a loop sided smile. "And, as I told you, detective, don't be so derogatory anymore with Connor. "

" Yeah yeah.. !” He grumbled, honking at the car in front of them. "Sorry, Connor. Now, Conrad can you find a damn faster way for me? "

Conrad rolled his eyes at the detective's patience and launched a GPS search to find a faster route avoiding the heavy traffic during rush hour.

"Take the next intersection on the right to start. »Conrad said with an imperturbable expression on the face.

"To move this asshole should go forward!" He straightened up, opened his window, and pulled his head out to shout. "Hey! The fucking light is green! It’s not to look pretty, mother fucker! "

He sat back inside correctly but saw the driver in front of him giving him a middle finger out the window and start in a rush. Gavin felt himself bubbling with rage and was about to start in the same way in an excess of anger.

"You should shut it, detective. "

"Sorry ??” Gavin said, turning his head abruptly in the direction of the RK900, which had a small grin on his lips. "What did you just say you moth-"

Gavin tensed suddenly when Conrad suddenly leaned toward him. His blood only spun when he realized that their faces were far too close and Conrad almost against his chest.

Just as he was going to ask him what he was doing, he saw his arm reaching for his door, heard an electronic sound, and the traffic _roar then_ dissipating.

He looked at the android, red with embarrassment.

"I was talking about the window, detective."

Gavin felt his face suddenly heat up and turned his head to keep Conrad, and even Connor in the back, noticing anything. Obviously, he was talking about the window. Not his mouth. However, he couldn't help but continue to blush with shame and embarrassment.

He came back to reality when he heard honks behind him, and noticed that it was him now who was preventing everyone from moving forward. He then started and narrowly passed the green light before it turned red. He then took the street on his right and continued driving, in a silence a bit too heavy for his taste, but he couldn't help thinking about his reaction to Conrad. It was the second time in two days that he had felt so vulnerable to the android, not physically. Emotionally. He didn’t understand why he was so intimidated, that his gaze fled from his when they crossed paths, that his heart pounded when he was a bit too close, or that he blushed like a teenager when he made two-way hints.

Gavin shook his head to chase away those sordid thoughts. It was just an android, it didn't make sense. Certainly, he had a pleasing appearance, but it was only polymer, plastic, metal, wires, and carbon fibers. How could all that put him in this state?

He glanced briefly at Conrad who was looking out the window. He seemed to be thoughtful, although a robot wasn’t supposed to wander and get lost in thought. He must have been navigating and creating a multitude of information and data, more or less useful for his functioning, the analysis of his environment, and the investigation. Although his appearance was quite similar to Connors, Conrad had something different. Something he liked, despite himself, that he couldn't identify.

Only, he wasn't the only one who couldn't identify something he was seeing. Connor, in the back seat, watched the detective out of the corner of his eye. Why did he seem so intrigued and enthusiastic about the presence of the RK900? Reed seemed to have completely forgotten his presence in the back of the vehicle as he was focused on his twin located in the front passenger seat.

His gaze juggled between the two individuals.

A new mystery that he had to solve.


	5. M.I.M.I.C

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New data are added to Django's case after investigating the cemetery, and this definitely was unexpected. Connor and Conrad find out about a specific device called M.I.M.I.C, something illegal from the black market that blows Gavin's mind. But this also allows him to understand something about Connor's condition. Something personal that he only can feel sorry for his shitty past behavior with the RK800.

The car was parked in the large parking lot at the cemetery entrance, and the engine stopped. Gavin was the first to get out of the vehicle, giving the signal to the two androids to do the same.

The white gravestones of the community cemetery lay in front of them in almost perfect lines, at equal distance from each other, giving an impression of discomfort and impersonality to this morbid symmetry.

Gavin sighed long, hands on his hips. He didn’t like cemeteries. Too many bad memories then surfaced, and he tried to drive them out by taking a cigarette.

"You shouldn't Gavin,” Conrad said, looking worried at him because of the legible concern on his face and his sudden silence.

"Shouldn’t what? To smoke? It's not a scoop, I know. "

He ignored the android's cold gaze and lit his cigarette before closing the car’s door. Connor glanced at Conrad and stared at him confused, the yellow LED flashing on his temple. Conrad, on the other hand, didn’t share his confusion with his predecessor and decided to follow Gavin.

"What are we supposed to be looking for?" Asked Gavin, turning to the two androids.

"The agent on the phone told me to look for row A12, near the end of the aisle,” Connor replied, joining them jogging. "He wasn’t more specific, he had to be discreet. "

Gavin sighed again, and Connor quickly scanned the area before pointing to a row a bit further ahead of them.

" It's that one. "

They walked a few meters before entering the row. They scanned the headstones one by one, hoping to find something to interest them, but Gavin was starting to get seriously fed up with these sordid puzzles.

"Detective? "

Connor's voice, because it was Connor who called him and still called him by title (To think he was really trying to piss him off, Gavin thought), pulled him out of his mind.

"What Connor?" Replied Gavin annoyed.

" Come to see. "

Conrad and Gavin approached Connor, who stood motionless in front of one of the stones. There was a strange flower in front.

" What is that thing? Some weeds ?” Gavin grimaced, crouching down to inspect the plant he had never seen in his life.

"It's a thistle," Conrad replied. "Despite its appearance, it is indeed a flower. It symbolizes peripheral defense, protection of the heart, but also represents longevity due to its unlimited life after drying. "

"Why offering a flower like this to someone who died?” Gavin said, looking up to read the name on the stone, but the inscription couldn't read because of the moss.

"It's a reminder ..." Connor replied, crouching down too, starting to scratch the moss on the stone. "A reminder saying Because of you, I suffered. You rubbed me and you got stung." By protecting myself, I had the opportunity to live. "

Gavin looked at Connor confused. How could he assume such a message through a simple weed?

"And I think I'm right. Look. "

Gavin looked up and turned pale as he read the name engraved in the stone, as well as the dates, especially the one of death.

 _MARY H. WALKER  
_ _1975 - 2038_

Gavin didn’t understand.

How did Mary Walker die the year before when they spoke to her earlier today?

"I just did research.” Conrad intervened, pulling everyone out of their confusion. "Mary Walker did die on November 22, 2038. Only there are no forensic reports anywhere. We just know she died, but not from what. "

"It was right after the revolution, right?” Gavin watched as the two androids nodded. "I'm thinking about something completely crazy but ..."

He paused for a moment, finding his reasoning completely crazy and stupid, but he had to ask the question just to be sure and to get that wacky idea out of his mind.

"Can androids change their appearance? "

Conrad and Connor looked at each other for a moment, both looking for information related to such possibilities.

"There is a technology that has been illegally developed on the change of appearance. A component sold on the black market called Morphological Identity Modifier by Images Combination, also called M.I.M.I.C to go faster. Before the revolution, it was used mainly on sex clubs androids. These androids could take the appearance that the customer just wanted by analyzing photos of people and recreating them on their artificial skin.” Connor said in one breathe.

"Damn perverts ..." Gavin added, crossing his arms.

"But recently," continued Conrad, "the sales numbers of M.I.M.I.C has greatly increased. Androids, now deviants, want to live their own lives. Lots of androids look the same …" Conrad glanced at Connor who did the same. "And some are probably looking to assert themselves, find their own identity to break away from Cyberlife, or simply their robotic aspect. "

"To become more human ..." said Connor thoughtfully and aloof.

"That's right ... some just need to remove their LED ... others just need to change their appearance. "

Gavin then looked at Connor and realized. Since the end of the revolution, Connor had decided to withdraw his LED for some unknown reason. He hadn't looked into it anymore, just not been interested in it. But now it made sense. Connor was not comfortable with the idea of being an android. Since he became deviant, a lot has disturbed the RK800. He absolutely wanted to change his Cyberlife clothes, often asked his colleagues what they felt because of the winter cold, what it felt like to eat this or that thing, why there were preferences, what feelings it made to be in love even. Tina had told him about all of this when they met in the break room for a coffee or two. Gavin hadn’t really listened to his colleague telling him about the android’s strange concerns, but it all came back to him now.

Connor was dysphoric.

He hadn't liked being an android since he became deviant and started to develop real emotions.

He silently dreamed of becoming human. And the only thing that seemed to come closest to him for him was to remove his LED, dress like everyone else, and imagine the sensations that his environment would give him.

But Connor was indeed an android anyway. And Gavin felt a twinge in his heart when he realized that Connor could never be fulfilled. Especially since the latter was forced to wear his LED for fieldwork because humans prefer to know who they are talking to.

In an unexpected burst of compassion, Gavin raised his left hand and placed it friendly on the RK800 shoulder, a line smile on his lips. The latter immediately raised his head to the sudden contact and looked at the detective with confusion.

"I understand some things better now ..." Gavin said calmly, raising his other hand to pat his own temple. "And I'm really sorry if I hurt you by constantly remembering what you are ..."

"I accept your apologies ..." Connor replied, the LED flashing yellow on his temple. "Thank you for being aware of this ..."

Gavin gave him a more playful smile and patted Connor's shoulder more frankly, before telling him that they should all focus.

Conrad, meanwhile, was surprised to see what had just happened. He might be more advanced than Connor, he didn't understand everything. He knew that humans were complicated to understand, but Gavin had come to understand something about Connor that he himself hadn’t yet understood. Perhaps he didn’t yet have enough information to decipher what had just happened before his eyes. Or maybe he didn't have enough distance to understand the whole story of Connor and Gavin. And it certainly was. He created a new task for himself: Getting to know Connor better.

"So, going back to Mary Walker," Gavin said, who took the androids out of their tumultuous thoughts, "The woman we saw this morning was therefore an android who would have used a M.I.M.I.C to take her identity? "

"I am sure of it,” Conrad replied, looking into Gavin's eyes. "And I have the intuition that this is Jela."

"You have an intuition?" Gavin laughed at the all too human term.

"It is not intuition per se, but rather deduction. With all the information we have, there is an 89% chance that this android pretending to be Mrs. Walker is Jela. "

"Okay let's say it's Jela," Gavin said more seriously, holding his chin to think. "This android was obviously not taken to Cyberlife recovery centers. We already knew this because we had found no registers in Detroit’s centers. This is said to be the last time Jela had been seen. "

"Following that, Mrs. Walker's daughter would have offered the dog to replace the android.” Said Conrad, imitating Gavin's posture in full reflection. " What if... "

Gavin turned his head towards the RK900, his face suddenly lit up and his eyes wide.

"What if Mary Walker died while trying to get rid of Jela? That the AX400 defended herself and took a M.I.M.I.C to take on the appearance of her owner? "

"It's not impossible," Connor said, nodding gently. "But we lack the elements to link these facts together. Then Jela couldn't find a M.I.M.I.C right away to replace Mary. It must have taken some time before getting one. "

"We have to go interrogate Mrs. Walker's daughter. Maybe she knows something. "

"We should go back to the precinct and report on our discovery at the cemetery," Connor said as he started to turn around. "We need to keep Hank informed and ask Fowler for permission to go and interview Mrs. Walker's daughter. And also investigate the M.I.M.I.C. "

Conrad and Gavin hurried to join the RK800, which was determined to continue his work.

"Wait, Connor, and Mrs. Walker? What do we do with her?"

"I have just told Officer Person that he is keeping an eye on her, that he is taking note of all of her actions,” Connor replied, the LED turning yellow, still striding forward. "I'm going to see to interrogate Mrs. Walker's daughter with Hank. You should find out more about M.I.M.I.C and the black market. "

Gavin wanted to open his mouth to say something but realized they were already to the car.

"It’s not you who chooses who does what, Connor, we’ll see with Fowler." Gavin unlocked the car. "Come on everyone"

They then left the cemetery and took half an hour to return to the city because of the traffic jams at the end of the day. Once at the precinct, the two androids reported in a few minutes, and the three of them established the facts in Fowler's office with Hank.

"I agree with Connor,” Fowler said, elbows on his desk and fingers crossed under his chin. "Hank and Connor will take care of the interrogation of Mrs. Walker's daughter, and Gavin and the RK900-"

"Conrad" Gavin interrupted his captain.

"Conrad? What Conrad? "

"It's his name. His name is Conrad. So we call him Conrad. Or Nines, if he wants to. But otherwise, it's Conrad, not RK900 anymore. "

Fowler looked at him for a long moment, his eyebrows raised so high that his forehead was wrinkled.

"O ... K ... All right, then, I was saying ... Gavin and Conrad ..." His gaze fell on the android who thanked him with a slight nod and then resumed. "... you will investigate the M.I.M.I.C and the black market. After that, you will come back to see me. We’ll see what we’ll do with the android who looked like Ms. Walker. "

"Good Captain,” Connor replied, almost standing at attention in his chair.

"But you will do this tomorrow. You started service early today. You deserve a little rest given what awaits you. So have a good rest tonight, the serious stuff starts tomorrow. "

They all nodded and left the Captain's office to go to their workstations.

After an hour of filing the latest information on Mrs. Walker's case, Hank stretched out at the desk. Connor understood that it was the _end of the day_ signal, and took his things. Hank grabbed his jacket and followed him.

"Hey Con’, would you like to go see the Gears game this weekend? "

"Do you have the possibility of having entries?" Connor asked, the LED blinking yellow.

"Yes, I have the advantage of having a friend who works at the entries shop. It can make us have two tickets. "

Connor smiled and nodded quickly. He had never seen a real basketball game since his activation. No real game in fact and he was very happy to share this moment with Hank, who loved the Gears. Besides, he owed him the honor, Connor still felt guilty for having missed the match live broadcast on the evening of November 5, 2038, when they met at Jimmy’s Bar. It may have been the perfect time to redeem himself and please Hank.

Connor then put on his jacket, following Hank. He took care to remove his LED with a clever little gesture, which he used to do and stuffed it in his pocket.

"It would be my pleasure, Lieutenant ..! "

Gavin had followed the action from A to Z, until his two colleagues disappeared from his sight, after the electronic gates of the precinct

He sighed long, eyebrows raised. The more time passed, the more he found that Hank and Connor were close, almost too close, and in a way that intrigued him, but it also made him uncomfortable.

"Are you all right, Gavin ..?" "

Conrad's voice brought him back to reality and he looked up at the android who was sitting at the desk across from his, a concerned expression on his face. How could he express human emotions so easily when was speaking with him? He was always so cold and serious when he spoke to Hank, Fowler, even Tina, and sometimes Connor too. But when it came to him, Gavin, on a less professional level, the android suddenly seemed emotional.

"Yes yes, everything’s fine. I just find it ... weird that Hank and Connor are so close. "

"Connor told me that Hank was like a father figure to him. A model, an example, and he's happy and secure with him."

"You are probably right, I have weird thoughts sometimes ..."

" Thoughts.. ? About what? "

"Nothing, stupid stuff, as always ..!” Gavin wallows in his chair as he stretches.

"You should go home. You deserve to rest, you hardly slept last night. "

"Yeah you’re fucking right ..." Gavin replied, getting up from his chair and grabbing his jacket. "It won't hurt to go home now."

The android nodded to show his agreement to his partner. Gavin quickly turned off the terminal and finally grabbed his keys and his phone.

"Good evening Gavin, see you tomorrow. "

"Yeah, see you tomorrow ..! "

Gavin then walked between the desks before heading to the automatic gates when he started to slow down. Something was wrong. He suddenly didn't feel well. It wasn’t physical, but he was hurt, embarrassed, almost ashamed.

He took a deep breath.

"Fuck. "

He turned on his heel, retraced his steps, and stopped next to Conrad, who was still at his desk.

The android looked up at him and looked confused.

"Did you forget something, Gavin?" "

" Yeah, you. "

The android started to frown while having the LED spinning yellow on the temple. Gavin sighed, rolled his eyes, and grabbed the android by the arm before pulling him out of his workspace. Despite the size and strength of the machine, Conrad was fairly easy to manipulate, letting himself go because he trusted in the detective.

"But I thought you were going home?" "

"And that’s true, but you're coming with me. "

" With you? "

"It makes me frankly uncomfortable to leave you here alone every night, so you come with me. Just that you see how it goes in a real house, in real life outside the precinct. "

Conrad was taken aback by the detective's argument, and his LED was hammering his temple in red. He wasn’t going to be alone tonight. And on top of that, he was going to be in the company of someone he highly valued.

He secretly hoped he would learn more about the detective, still having the main mission of knowing who Gavin Reed was.


	6. A Step Forward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the first time Conrad comes to Gavin's home and try to learn more about his partner. The first time also they spend time together aside work, doing useless stuff like watching TV. The first time Conrad sees a cat, Gavin's cat more precisely. And Gavin happens to be a bit jealous of his furry ball, maybe wanting to be pet the same way Conrad did with the feline.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there! I'd like to thank everyone for your kudos and your subscriptions to this fiction, it means a lot for me, really. (It's really hard to translate sometimes and find the motivation to do it...) But I promise I'll stay strong for all of you !  
> This fiction is ongoing, and already have 22 chapters written (in french and only 16 online for now). Soooo you'll have a lot of content to read here! Enjoy the following chapter.

When Gavin opened the door to his small apartment, a brief, dull, muffled noise could be heard in the living room. Conrad followed close behind, his blue LED glowing in the dark, twirling like a firefly in the night, high in the air.

Then Gavin finally found the switch, and the light lit up the apartment.

There was nothing exceptional about the detective. The decor was rather modern but you could immediately understand that he liked comfort and practicality with the large sofa in the living room, the kitchen on the left when entering, and the large window behind the sofa which overlooked a small covered terrace.

Conrad walked into the room as the detective closed behind him, casually putting his things on the back of a chair.

It was then that the Android’s cold blue eyes landed on the furball in the middle of the living room. He quickly made the connection with the dull noise when they entered, and the red cat, a Maine coon, walked to his owner to rub against his shins.

"Oh yes I know, the day’s been long ..." Gavin said, placing a knee on the ground to start gratifying the feline with caresses. "Conrad, this is Perry. Perry, this is Conrad .., "

The cat continued to purr loudly enjoying the attentions of his human, then turned around and finally noticed the RK900. The cat wasn’t particularly familiar with androids. Gavin didn’t often take them home, and the animal didn’t want to go out, preferring his palace, all-you-can-eat kibble, and the comfort of the sofa. But Perry, who always was curious by nature, walked to Conrad's legs before gently sniffing the fabric of his pants.

Conrad dared not move for fear of scaring the feline. It was also a first for him. He had never been in contact with an animal before. Perry was his first cat, just like Conrad was Perry's first android.

The Maine Coon ended up rubbing himself amicably against the RK900’ shins and looked up at him to let out a little meow, not manly at all.

Conrad's LED began to flicker yellow, then he squatted down slowly, and gently moved his hand towards the animal before stopping his pending gesture.

Gavin watched the scene a few meters away, his arms crossed over his chest, a half-amused, half-tender smile. He didn’t know if it was his cat’s behavior that put him in this state of secret euphoria, or the fact that Conrad was trying to establish a soft and unkind contact with an individual who was very close to him, the equivalent of his immediate family.

Perry ended up nudging forward and rubbed himself in the palm of the Android's hand. Conrad then began to gently scratch his ears and back, then looked up at the detective, a genuine smile on his lips, his eyes narrowed with undisguised joy.

And there, Gavin's heart missed a beat. He had never seen so much sincerity in Conrad's gaze, so authentic, real emotions. At that very moment, he cursed himself for having once believed that the androids were nothing but heaps of junk playing the imitation game.

He had come to admit that this wasn’t the case. But it was further proof. Conrad was pleased to meet and pay attention to Perry.

He couldn't help but smile back, that joy being rather communicative. He watched the scene again silently from afar, observing the fascination and affection Conrad developed for Perry.

"Well, I'm about becoming jealous ..! "

And Gavin curses himself again, but this time for bringing out something like that.

He smacked his forehead loudly, which caught Conrad's attention even more. The latter stood up and looked at Gavin, his head tilted slightly to the side.

"Jealous in what sense? Because you would like to be at my place to pet your cat or because you would like to be at your cat's place so that I could p- "

"HUNGER! "

Gavin turned, mentally congratulating himself on having cut the cold in his sentence, to head to the kitchen and open the fridge. He wasn't particularly hungry, but he didn't want to hear what Conrad was going to say. The situation was already embarrassing enough. But to the detective's utter despair, nothing was interesting in the fridge. He sighed, groaning at the same time, realizing that he should seriously consider going someday do grocery.

"If you want ..." Conrad began as he walked over to him. "I can order something for tonight. What do you say? "

Gavin turned his head to Conrad and realized that inviting the Android home for the night had been the worst idea he ever had since he had fought himself with Connor during the Revolution, in the evidence room.

However, not much had happened between the police station and his home, or even just between them during the investigation or besides work. And yet, Gavin seemed to ... not be indifferent to Conrad. There was no longer any doubt about it.

"Um. Can I do a remark?” Conrad asked, crossing his arms behind his back, an almost teasing look.

"What? "

"If you don't take anything out of your fridge, you should shut it. It's a loss of cold and electricity ... "

Gavin noticed that he now had the fridge open during all his thinking, and quickly slammed it shut.

"Yeah, order something. I don't know um ... pizza? I have no idea. "

"Do you have preferences? With anchovies? Without? Allergies ? "

"Woah not food allergies, God saved me from this misfortune ..! Take a classic, a margarita. It always passes. "

" It is done. We will be delivered in fifteen minutes. "

"What?” Gavin looked at him surprised. "Already? "

"The advantage of being a walking computer is that I think as fast as a computer, so ... yes, already.” And Conrad smiled again.

_No, stop smiling like that mother f-_

"Okay well, you can make yourself comfortable in the meantime. I know you don’t eat but I don’t especially want you to stupidly wait like that, still fully dressed. "

And he rolled his eyes mentally. Why was he so nervous tonight? He said bullshits that made him even more uncomfortable.

Conrad noticed the detective's annoyance, and couldn't suppress a little smirk, before removing his white and black jacket from Cyberlife.

So he went to sit on the big sofa in the living room, immediately installed, Perry jumped on his knees.

Gavin came to sit next to him, at a reasonable distance, with a beer in his hand. He looked at his cat and laughed softly.

"I had no idea that Perry might like androids. "

"I bet you weren't sure you could either." And Conrad smiled as he watched his partner's reaction while petting Perry.

Gavin stopped his sipping his beer and looked at the Android. What was he playing at?

But he decided to remain silent, then took again a sip of his beer. Conrad looked away, a loop sided smile on his lips, and tried to focus all his attention on the purring animal on his lap.

"They're playing that old movie _I-Robot_ with Will Smith on TV tonight. Already watched it? "

"I see that this is a movie about robots that-"

"Stop, don't spoil yourself. Log off from the internet or I don't know, we're both going to watch it this evening. What do you think about it? "

Conrad felt his LED warming his temple gently in a golden hue and discreetly pursed his lips before smiling and nodding as he looked at Gavin.

" Thank you for inviting me... "

"Aah ..." Gavin blushed, suddenly not knowing where to go, "I didn't realize that you spent all your nights alone at the precinct. Connor lives with Hank so ... I didn't find it very ... fair that you were alone. So ... "Gavin took a deep breath and looked at the Android again," ... if you want to spend the night here, you can. "

Conrad looked at Gavin for long seconds, as if to be sure that the human wasn’t making fun of him with such a proposal. He hesitated to answer, for fear of being trapped, but Gavin had insisted lately that he was sorry he had behaved badly towards him. And then ... why would Gavin invite him to spend the evening with him if it was to hurt him afterward..?

His LED flashed briefly in red before returning to yellow, then finally to blue.

He had nothing to fear from Gavin anyway. He was an android and could defend himself if necessary. But something, deep down in his wires and circuits, gave him the impression that the detective was sincere in his proposal, and that it started from a good intention.

"Conrad, there's been a lull for a minute ... it's been getting a long time and I'm starting to think that maybe I shouldn't have-"

" I accept.” Gavin then looked at him surprised. " With pleasure,” Conrad added smiling sincerely.

Gavin began to blush against his will and began to laugh nervously as he grabbed the TV remote to turn it on and look for the channel that was broadcasting the science fiction movie.

He shouldn't be focusing on that smile that had just caused him to have a mini heart attack. He had seen Connor smile before, but it was completely different. Conrad was completely different, and then ... it was just Conrad actually.

"And hum…” Gavin said, clearing his throat a bit to get out of this embarrassing atmosphere. "How's it going for your charge? Well, I don't know much about android’s stuff, so forgive me for the stupid questions. But the androids of the precinct stand on a charging station, and I have already seen androids in the streets as if parked under some sort of shelter ... If you sleep here, well ... "Gavin rolled his eyes at the use of the verb _to sleep_ because it wasn’t really the case for Conrad. “You know what I mean. And I don't have any station here for-"

"Don't worry," Conrad interrupted, raising his hand briefly. “The majority of androids released after 2035 have retrocharging. That means we just need to go into deep sleep mode to be able to recharge. Basically, doing nothing allows us to regain energy. Androids released before 2035 have a 140-year battery. The problem with these batteries is that they damage the androids functions over time and some of their biocomponents need to be changed regularly. So in the end, in theory, since for the moment no android before 2035 has been able to use 100% of the battery life, their body envelope would stop working first. This means that the battery will always power up their processor, their AI, and therefore their consciousness, but... the body will be out of service. They will be trapped. "

"But it's horrible ..!” Gavin said, horrified by the idea of being conscious, alive, but in a body condemned to no longer living. "Isn't that your case I hope? I don't really want to know that you're going to end up like this ... "

"Don't worry ..." Conrad smiled again. "I was made in 2038, so I just have to pretend I'm sleeping to recharge. "

"Like humans actually. By doing nothing at night, we also recharge ..! "

The doorbell suddenly rang throughout the apartment, and Gavin jumped out of the sofa. The delivery man was finally here, and he was on time! The detective's stomach gurgled loudly as he searched for his wallet in his jacket.

Conrad got up to go open the door.

"Good evening, I have a margarita pizza for Gavin Reed ?" The delivery man said looking at the Android in front of him.

"Yes yes, I'm coming ..!” Shouted Gavin from the kitchen, rummaging through his jacket pockets, still looking for his wallet.

"Here," Conrad said, handing a bill to the delivery man. "You can keep the change. "

The young man, unaccustomed to meeting an android who pays in cash, remained a little troubled but thanked him with a nod and handed him the square box.

Conrad closed the door and turned to Gavin who was looking at him with round eyes.

"Did you just pay for the pizza?"

" Yes. "

"With what money? "

"Mine, why? "

"Conrad ...Well ... I couldn't find my wallet but I could have paid ...! "

"This wallet you mean?" Conrad took the object out of his pants pocket and waved it under the detective's nose.

"Wha-" and Gavin's face froze in a grimace of deep confusion.

"I wanted to invite you,” Conrad explained, returning the object to its owner. "You invite me to spend the evening, and the night, at your house, so I wanted to thank you in this way. "

 _For now_ , he said to himself.

"Do you know you're deceitful?" Gavin couldn't help but smile and shuffled his wallet. "Come on, let's go back to the sofa. The movie will start and I frankly am too much hungry now ..! "

"Alright, Detective Reed."


	7. Body Expression

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Conrad wakes up in the middle of the night in Gavin's apartment. Curiosity, and Perry, push him to inspect the bedroom. As he looked at Gavin asleep from afar, a strange feeling makes him go further and watch his partner sleeping. Something strange happens when he tries to reach for the human's face. Something that perturbs Conrad, and scares him a little. He has no control over it. What it is actually?

It was 3:17 am when Conrad suddenly woke up, alerted by weight having settled on his stomach. He took a few seconds to restart, and he opened his eyes, staring for a moment on the ceiling, the LED spinning yellow, the time for the startup process to complete 100%. Then he straightened up a bit and found that the weight was none other than Perry, who had curled up comfortably on him.

The cat opened his eyes slightly, wondering why his bed was moving so suddenly, then after a glance exchanged with Conrad, the animal slowly closed them before starting to purr.

Conrad smiled against his will, finding the situation incongruous, touching, and curious. He hadn't even initiated petting him as he was already purring like a lawnmower. On the couch, still lying on his back, Conrad gently reached out for the cat so as not to rush him, but Perry was no longer paying attention to the android, is dozing off again. His fingers reached the fluffy ears, and the feline suddenly stretched out to reach his fingers, purring even louder.

"You seem a lot more sociable than your owner ..." the android said smiling as he glanced down the hallway to the right that led to his partner's bedroom. "I guess it's you who must give him some sweetness and comfort when he becomes a bundle of nerves ..."

Obviously, Perry wouldn't give Conrad an answer, sure not understanding what the android was telling him, just finding the timbre of his voice pleasant.

Conrad kept running his fingers over the animal's head, sometimes fooling around with his ears, finding the coat extremely soft, and the cat endearing.

This petting session lasted a few more minutes, and Conrad decided to do some research on the M.I.M.I.C. Obviously, what he found on the public grid was just the surface of the iceberg. Other than a few brief descriptions of the component, its functionality, and the fact that it was illegal, there was nothing relevant. He could make a connection to the deep web but he wasn’t sure whether he was safe from a hack or a cyberattack, because androids were not the only technology that had made a big leap within the 21st century.

He then preferred to leave his research on stand-by. Anyway, he wasn't supposed to be working at that time, and investigating the M.I.M.I.C, as well as the Black Market, was scheduled for later.

Conrad then was brought back to reality, erasing all the augmented reality holograms from his research, when he felt Perry stand up, and jump down to the floor with a nimble little jump. The android didn't feel offended that the animal was leaving, but he couldn't help feeling a little disappointed that he had no more company.

He then sat down, still on the couch, and observed the apartment while performing a scan.

Strangely, there wasn't much personal in the main room. Apart from a few chargers here and there, a closed laptop on the kitchen table, a jacket on the back of a chair, and a few paper-sized artbooks enthroned on a wall shelf, the rest seemed to be there just to fill in the gaps. . There were fake plants, minimalist paintings of animals, vases in sober colors, or even small figurines with abstract shapes. After analyzing the room, and the few pieces of information he had gathered earlier about the detective, Conrad concludes that Gavin is finally spending little time at his house. Or at least, didn't care about living in all the space of his apartment.

He stood up and wandered around the room for a few moments, observing with curiosity the books dedicated to the art of video games and a few cinematographic works, then passed the hallway on his right. He paused for a few seconds, his blue LED glowing in the dark, to observe the layout of the suite of the apartment. There were three other doors: one at the back, one on the right and one on the left. Perry was sitting in front of the back one, his head raised towards the doorknob as if hoping that it would move on its own to open the door. The cat turned his head towards the android, then looked at the doorknob again, determinedly.

Conrad walked silently down the hall, not that long, and observed the animal watching him back. His LED briefly spun yellow, considering whether to give him access to the room behind. He suspected that if the cat was waiting in front, it must have been his owner's room since his litter was on the terrace.

Perry let out a little meow short and high-pitched, again catching the attention of the android. Conrad then nodded, put his hand on the doorknob, and lowered it slowly to make less noise as possible.

The door opened silently, and the red hairball scurried through the gap to disappear under the bed in the center of the room.

Conrad could have just closed the door and returned to sit on the sofa in the living room, but… no. His programs sent subtle electric shocks throughout his artificial nervous system, whispering in his head to look inside the room. Conrad didn’t resist this appeal for long, which was in fact out of curiosity. He looked up and gazed into the room.

His steel-blue eyes fixed on a human figure in the middle of the bed, wrapped in sheets and blankets. Conrad's LED quickly flashed yellow before staying in the same color. It was stronger than his sanity, it was out of control and illogical. Still, he slipped into the gap and found himself in the bedroom, his back to the door.

He didn't know why he was doing this, and he didn't know what to do now that he was here. But he took one step… then two… then another, until he was on the right side of the bed, where Gavin was asleep.

Subconsciously, the android scanned him, as if to make sure the human was indeed asleep, and not in eternal sleep. His heart was beating at a calm and steady rate, his temperature was slightly higher than normal from being bundled up in his bed, and his facial features were completely relaxed.

Conrad, still with yellow LED, was discovering a new aspect of Gavin. He had already noticed that the detective had features and characteristics pleasant to watch, from an objective point of view, but there he was fully aware of how attractive Gavin Reed was, from a completely subjective point of view, this time.

Gavin's eyes fluttered gently under his lids, a sign that he was dreaming. Conrad then wondered how dreams could be like… It was a completely unknown concept and inconceivable to him. Yet he knew it looked like some sort of distant, hazy, indistinct memory that had been created from scratch by the living being's subconscious. It is sometimes remembered upon awakening, with difficulty or distinctly, or not at all. He also knew that they could be nice, but also bad, and they called them nightmares. And at that moment, he wondered what Gavin was dreaming about.

He knelt silently beside the bed and continued to watch him. He lingered on every inch of his face: his hair falling in disarray on his forehead because of the night, his very black and long eyelashes which rested on his closed lower eyelids, his nose adorned with this scar which came to cut it in diagonal, a few more discreet ones under the right eye and another on the bottom of the left cheek… to believe that they were both an extension of the one in the middle of his face. He observed his mouth which seemed damaged by this compulsive mania for biting his lips due to stress, and they too, adorned with small scars probably resulting from past fights, then his three-day beard and those dark circles making him look like almost sick.

Gavin wasn't perfect, but Conrad seemed to love every imperfection in him. Every detail told a story or reflected his attitude. For him, nothing was interesting about anything perfect and blameless. It was a mess.

He slowly extended his left hand to Gavin's face, which was turned towards him, still asleep. And as his fingers came closer, his synthetic skin pilled off in a soft bluish wave, revealing the soft white plastic characteristic of androids.

But Conrad suddenly stopped in his progress, observing the reaction of his skin, which he hadn't provoked at all. His hand was inches from Gavin's face, and he could feel an electric current on the tips of his fingers.

He then pulled his hand away from the detective's face and saw his artificial skin wrap around his arm to the tips of his fingers. His LED was spinning yellow, searching for answers. He had already interfaced with other androids, he obviously knew his body could do that, but he was the one to decide. There he had no control over it, and he couldn't interface with a human being.

He looked at his hand curiously, turning it to watch it from all angles, when Perry suddenly jumped onto the bed.

The android LED instantly turned red when he saw Gavin moving, and realizing he was still there. He got up quickly and left the room in a hurry, avoiding making too many noises. He heard his partner's husky voice behind his back, half-asleep, moaning and mumbling some insults addressed to Perry.

Conrad's pump was pulsing briskly in his chest, sending the thirium at high speed to irrigate his body, and raise his temperature. He had been afraid of being caught. He took a deep breath, action unnecessary in itself for an android, but the inhaled air allowed his biocomponents to cool a bit. That was what breathing was used for to androids, although it was imitating human breathing, it was actually AirCooling, so ultimately a very useful action.

The android returned to sit on the couch, his LED turned yellow again, still confused by what had happened a few minutes earlier. He raised his arm and watched his hand again as if it didn't belong to him, and someone else had taken control of it in the bedroom.

He had to understand what had happened. He didn't even dare to imagine the catastrophe if it had been hacked. He would be a danger to the secret policy of the DPD, but also dangerous to Gavin.

Conrad then stared into the void, texting Cyberlife, specifically Tech, to check his programmings.

He had initiated a full diagnosis and nothing had been reported. In doubt, he confirmed the email was sent and looked down the hall again. There was no more noise. Gavin hadn't seen him. Conrad then settled back onto his back on the sofa, and went into a light sleep, to stay alert.

Gavin did a phenomenal jump in bed when the alarm on his phone rang at seven. He looked for the latter in a panic to silence it as quickly as possible, no longer supporting the ringing used for the alarm clock. Outside of the morning context, when he heard that same melody on another phone ringing for a call, he would go into a trance-like post-traumatic stress crisis. He really hated it, but it gave him a reason to wake up to stop it.

He finally reached for his phone and slid his finger across the screen to turn it off. He sighed in relief and sank limply into his sheets and pillows.

He closed his eyes, enjoying the comfort of his bed when he suddenly opened them when he heard a noise coming from the living room. He sat up straight up and stared at his half-open door skeptically. He was sure he had closed it the night before so Perry wouldn't come and press his ass against his face in the night.

Gavin then slowly got out of bed, opened his dresser, and realized he had left his holster, and therefore his gun, in the living room.

What a fucking dumbass ..!

He internally cursed himself for being so stupid and quickly looked around for something that might do the trick. His eyes fell on the instrument stored behind his door. He pursed his lips, hesitating. He winced, both annoyed and sorry, and grasped the handle with both hands, and lifted the instrument like a huge hammer. Slowly, he pushed open his door and walked silently down the hall.

“Hello, Gavin ..! Had a good n- "

“Holy shit! "

Gavin had almost dropped his weapon on himself in surprise. Conrad, meanwhile, watched him surprised with a cup of coffee in his hand.

"What are you doing with a bass? "

"I thought someone was robbing me!” Gavin hastened, both pissed off at the android for scaring him for nothing, but also relieved that it was ultimately just him.

“You were going to hit me with a bass. "

"It would have been purely unwillingly !” Gavin said, lowering his instrument.

"Glad to know you would hate to hit me with something so heavy. "

“To be honest I said that for my bass. It's expensive, and it's sentimental. "

Conrad's LED flashed briefly yellow before turning blue again. He tried to hide his disappointment.

"I'm just kidding ..!” Gavin added as he left to put down his bass. " _I mean, no, but I would still have_ _hated_ _to hit him_ _with it”_. He returned to the living room. "Sorry I almost assaulted you in the morning, but I completely forgot you spent the night here. "

"I understand, you don't have visitors here often, I guess. "

" It’s true. I prefer to be alone normally, or at least with Perry. "

“Am I then privileged?” Conrad smiled as he handed him the coffee mug he was holding.

Gavin blushed in embarrassment and took the cup without answering, for fear of sinking in like the day before.

" ...thank you... "

"Oh it's okay, I trained well with my partner at work," he said, smiling as he sat down on one of the chairs in the kitchen, still facing his host. " However I have to tell you something that you might not like. "

Gavin frowned, both curious and worried.

"Well…" Conrad pointed at him, moving it up and down. “Happy to find out what is hidden under these clothes.” He said sarcastically.

Gavin looked at his body and froze when he saw that he had been in underwear since the beginning. He began to rail with rage, quickly put his coffee mug on the kitchen table, and almost ran into his bedroom, as Conrad put his hand over his mouth, suppressing a laugh and to hide his smile.

Gavin returned a few minutes later, dressed as the day before.

"It's just coffee time, and I jump in the shower afterward. This is the downside of having visitors, you always have to be presentable. "

“I didn't know humans like to walk around half-naked in their homes. "

“You have a lot to learn about us. And the majority are not very bright ... "

Gavin sat down at his table and picked up his coffee again. He remained silent, looking at the brown surface in his cup.

Conrad analyzed his face. He seemed to be expressing regret, but the android didn't dare ask any questions. He suspected that in the tumultuous life of a police officer tragic things could have happened, and he was aware that it was sometimes difficult to talk about them. Conrad also suspected that this silence could be linked to the detective's more personal past and that he had made it his mission to get to know him better to better understand him. But that was a little over a week ago, and he seemed to have gotten attached to this human enough to respect his melancholy and secrets.

But he thought it was important to get Gavin out of his deep thinking, to make him think of something else.

"How did you get those scars?” Conrad said looking at him, to let him know he was talking about the ones in his face. Mechanically, Gavin ran his fingers over the one on his nose.

“It goes back a few years now.” Gavin started with an almost wistful smile. “It was my first patrol as an officer. I was in the narcotics back then, and we would go around bars and clubs looking for Red Ice dealers. We had intervened in an altercation between three individuals in the back of a bar. A Red Ice dealer and two potential customers who certainly didn’t agree on the price of the merch... They came to hands, we tried to pull them apart, and in the process, a knife popped out to say hello to my face. "

The reconstruction software kicked in unwillingly and simulated an image superimposed on his partner's face. A bloody wound crossing his face loomed in his head. He forced the software to shut down to get rid of this image which he found particularly distasteful and disturbing. His LED even began to flash yellow. But Gavin wasn't looking at him, too focused on his coffee and his story.

"A few inches away, I could have lost my right eye.” He laughed as he took a sip of his coffee, and finally finished it. "I wasn’t very smart when this happened to me, I admit.” He finally turned his face to Conrad and saw his yellow LED. "But that wasn't the worst injury I've had ..."

Conrad wanted to know which was the worst. He wanted to know every story of every scar that adorned his detective's body.

 _The d_ _etective_ , he corrected himself. Not _his._

But Gavin got up and walked back down the hall to the bathroom, being careful to lock the door behind him.

Conrad sat silently at the kitchen table, wondering why he enjoyed Gavin's company so much outside of work.

It had been just over a week since he arrived at the police station, was assigned to Gavin, and he was already developing strange emotions towards him. He was well aware that being deviant his emotions were more genuine and intense. But they didn't seem to have any explanations, any concrete reasons for their manifestations. For example, he knew and felt that his feelings for Connor were completely different from those he might have felt for Tina. But those for Gavin seemed to be on a higher level. And the more he thought about it, the more he thought to himself that it was definitely an imbalance in his artificial prefrontal cortex. If so, it could be problematic for his work. Getting too emotional wouldn't do anyone a favor.

He would take advantage of the appointment made with Cyberlife's technical service to clear things up. He especially didn't want to be flawed so early in his life and compromise the detective's safety because of these loopholes.

" Worried ? "

Conrad picked up his head again and saw Gavin ready to go. He realized that more than ten minutes had passed already. The Android rose then and apologized for his distraction.

"Your tiny light has been yellow for a while now. "

“I was running a diagnostic. I think I have some technical problems. I'm going to have to go to the Cyberlife tower tonight. "

"Wow, is that so bad ?” Gavin suddenly felt worried.

"No, it's nothing serious. Just a disturbance of emotions and a problem of random dermal retraction. "

"Dermal retraction…" Gavin seemed to be figuring out what that might be before he got it. " Oh, the thing with the skin when you touch each other right?" "

“Yes, to perform an interface, we have to retract our artificial skin. But mine seems ... to do this anytime ... "

He gently stretched his hand out in front of him but nothing happened. Conrad lifted his chin to regain some presence.

“It doesn't matter. We have work today, we better get to the precinct. I need to research the M.I.M.I.C on a secure server. Not to mention that we will also have to take a trip to the black market. "

"Don't worry Robocop, I have contacts who can help us out there. But you're right, let's go. "

Gavin grabbed his jacket, badge, gun, and keys. He hugged Perry and left. Conrad greets the animal, hoping to see him again someday, and soon if possible, and joined Gavin on the doorstep.

On the way, Gavin listened to the news on the radio. Nothing special had happened during the night. At least nothing made public.

The detective turned his head several times to the android on the way, slightly preoccupied with what Conrad had told him just before they left. He hoped he was okay, and that Conrad wouldn't be deactivated or reset. He liked him the way he was after all. Gavin already had experimented with it before. And he would definitely go crazy if he were to stop working with him, or worse, with another RK900.

The idea made him feel uncomfortable and sick.


	8. An Unexpected Change

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Coming back to the precinct the next morning, Tina starts to have suspicions about Gavin and his behavior. Maybe it's related to Conrad? Gavin denies it all. As they were about to go back to work, Connor asks the duet to come out of Detroit city, to Mary Walker's daughter's place. Something is wrong. Something so unexpected that the four policemen start to be overwhelmed.

When they entered the precinct, Connor and Hank weren't there yet. Although the RK800 tried to instill good habits and a better lifestyle for Lieutenant Anderson, he couldn’t always motivate him to arrive on time. Hank was still a stubborn bear sometimes.

Gavin walked over to the break room but turned to Conrad for a moment.

"Go settle in, you can start connecting to our secure network if you want. I need a coffee. "

Conrad nodded and settled to his desk. Gavin walked over to the coffee machine like the holy grail. One coffee wasn't enough for him, he clearly needed a big boost to motivate him to work.

"Detective Reed ..! "

Gavin turned to see Tina sitting at the table, steaming coffee between her fingers.

"Oh shit, have you been there for the whole time ?” Gavin said as he picked up his hot coffee mug and sat down next to her.

"I was inhaling coffee.” She laughs, giving him a friendly pat on the shoulder. "You look like you slept well! It's weird…" She narrowed her eyes, curious to see his dark circles less pronounced than usual. "Did something happen? A girlfriend ?"

"Do you seriously think I can have a girlfriend with the shitty life and the shitty face I have?” Gavin chuckled and sipped his coffee. "What do you want me to do with someone… I don't have time for that kind of shit… Being in a relationship with a job like ours means being sure to constantly be worried about that person, every day. And you know how stubborn and impulsive I can be. Jumping around without thinking happens far too often. "

“Bad habits change you know,” Tina said facing him. “Look, Valérie was going crazy at first. Especially the night she found out that within a quarter of an hour I would have found myself facing the group of deviants in Capitol Park, but for her, I remain cautious. Because I want to be able to go home and see her again. I'm sure if you had someone in your life you would sound like me. "

Gavin shook his head. No fucking way. He clearly didn't have the mind for it, and he wasn't good at dating anyway. One night stands were fine for him. It was less complicated. And that distressed him. Even though his last relationship was over two months ago. With all these rebelling events and his goal of moving up in rank, he clearly didn't have time to go have a one night stand in his spare time.

Because he just didn't have spare time.

He took a sip of the coffee again, his nose in his mug, and looked up at Conrad sitting at their desk. He saw the latter turn his head towards him at that moment and smile at him from a distance.

Gavin half choked on his coffee and even spilled some on the table.

"Fuck fucking fuck ..!” He cleared his throat and put the mug down on the table before getting up to fetch a sponge.

"Or ..." Tina said hesitantly, watching her friend's behavior carefully. " ...a boyfriend.. ? "

Gavin whirled around with the sponge in hand, his face still red from having half-choked on the hot brew. Or was it something else?

" Me? A boyfriend? Have you met me ?” He laughed nervously, still shocked at his friend's suggestion. “I'm not gay Tina ..! "

"If it's an android, that doesn't really matter, does it ..? "

Gavin flushed with embarrassment and a sudden burst of anger. The sponge then began to fly across the room and landed soaked right on the laughing officer Chen.

"Hey, clean up! "

He picked up his mug again, then left the break room, leaving a laughing Tina behind him. How dare she laugh at him like that! It was unacceptable.

He returned to his desk, rigid with the tension and anger that had taken hold of him. Conrad tilted his head to the side to glance at his partner.

"What?” Gavin asked sharply, still flushed.

But the android didn't have time to respond as Tina Chen's laughter redoubled and echoed throughout the open space. Gavin took his face in his hands, hiding his embarrassment and he huffed.

"Something happened with Officer Chen? "

" Nothing important. From now on ignore anything she could tell you, okay? "

“Okay.” Conrad simply repeated a smile on his artificial lips.

_Poker Face Gavin… Poker Face…_

The brunet gave himself a mental slap to refocus and logged into his terminal. He consulted the reports of the officer dispatched to the house of the so-called Mrs. Walker. Nothing reported, except that she had left the lights in her house all night, and he hadn't seen her move once from his living room all day after her return.

"Do you have something on your side?" Gavin asked, leaning back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Connor just sent me a message,” Conrad said, the LED flashing yellow briefly while frowning. “We should join them right away. "

" Why ?” Gavin asked, leaning forward suddenly. " What’s happening? "

"It's about Mrs. Walker's daughter.” Conrad rose from his chair, prompting his partner to do the same.

"I don't like suspense Terminator so tell me right now.” Gavin put on his jacket again and walked to the precinct exit followed closely by his android.

"Connor wasn't very specific on the subject, but he told me that no trace of her had been found at her address. And that other people were occupying her home. "

Gavin frowned, finding no meaning in this information. He got into his car, followed by Conrad. The latter guided him through town to lead them to rural Detroit, a good half an hour from the precinct. Conrad was trying to get more information from Connor through a telepathic connection, but Connor didn't respond, as if too busy.

"Do you think Mrs. Walker's daughter was kidnapped by Jela?" Gavin said, concentrating on driving, through the rows of pines on either side of the road.

" I do not think so. Why would other people be in her house then? "

"A false trail then? "

" It's possible. After all, we're pretty sure Mrs. Walker is Jela. She may have sent us on a false trail to have time to getaway. And then how could she have abducted her daughter had stayed at home the whole time? "

"And why would she want to buy time to get away when she called us for Django? "

“I don't know yet,” Conrad replied, sighing in frustration. "I don't have enough elements in my possession to make this whole story coherent. "

"I feel that this animal abuse story is much more complex than that …"

Gavin shook his head, exasperated by the case that was just beginning. He didn't like it when business got messy, especially when it involved androids.

He came to like Conrad, to understand Connor a bit better, but overall his opinion of Cyberlife toys hadn't changed. The Androids would lead mankind to its demise. Not like most of the science fiction movies released in the 80s / 90s or even early 2000s, where robots were war machines that either took consciousness and killed everyone or exterminated the human race under an advanced program called Skynet. No. Rather, it was a gradual and unconscious loss. The androids took over the work of humans, humans no longer being able to provide for themselves, find themselves living just for living, or surviving by trafficking Red Ice. It was already happening. Gavin knew this scenario all too well. He had been the main character in his own horror movie.

“GAVIN! "

Conrad suddenly grabbed the steering wheel to swerve in the road, and avoid hitting a deer. Gavin immediately hit the brakes as he came back to himself, screeching the tires on the snowy asphalt for several meters before the car came stopped finally.

Gavin had his hands clutching the steering wheel, his breath erratic and his eyes wide with sudden fear.

He turned his head to Conrad and noticed his LED was red, hammering his temple.

" You fine ??” Gavin hastened to ask him.

" I”m alright. I was ... surprised by the incident. "

"Holy shit…" Gavin ran a hand over his face. "Fortunately you have more reflexes than I do …"

“A deer crossed the road just a few meters from us. Even with my reflexes, we could have had a severe accident. There are things that even my programs cannot anticipate, being far too random and unpredictable. "

"No, it's… I was distracted.” Gavin confessed, settling back into his seat. "Ok ..." He huffed and shifted into first gear again.

"Ok, let's go …"

The car started again and they took the road more slowly. It wasn’t safe to drive at the posted speed limit with this thin layer of snow on the road. Gavin had to focus if he wanted to make sure he came home in one piece tonight for Perry.

But Conrad kept an eye on the detective for the rest of the trip. He knew he had been distracted. But by what? Gavin's stress level had slowly risen shortly before the deer crossing as if his own thoughts had put him in a state of fear. Conrad was thinking about it, but he had very poor personal information about the detective to make any assumptions. But he was sure of one thing.

Gavin was tormented by past events in his life. Something related to his insomnia, related to this virulent behavior towards others, these verbal jousts of sarcasm with passive-aggressive turns.

" I thought you’ll never come. ! "

Gavin sighed in relief as he pulled into a small, leafy mate's alley, before pulling into the driveway near Hank's car.

Lieutenant Anderson and Connor stood outside the first leaning against his car, and the other pacing, deep in thought.

Conrad and Gavin both got out of the vehicle then, and the detective spread his arms wide, physically expressing his confusion and the inability to understand the situation.

"I hope you have a real explanation for making us move this far!” Gavin began nervously before pulling out his pack of cigarettes and lighting one. “We have things to do on our side as well. So let's not fool around, please. "

"Miss Walker has been deceased since the beginning of November 2038."

It was Connor. And Gavin looked at him, his lips parted slightly and the smoking cigarette between. The human's eyebrows rose in surprise then and grabbed the cigarette between his fingers to speak.

"Wait what?” Gavin was understanding absolutely nothing.

“Mrs. Walker told us that her daughter gave her Django. And she told us where to find her daughter to interrogate her if necessary, but… ” Connor gave a sided look as if searching in his data. “Turns out the real Mrs. Walker was still alive when her daughter passed away. Her death occurred two weeks later. So the android with her identity is trying to mislead us. "

"No shit Sherlock!” Gavin snapped, rolling his eyes. "So the address was correct, only other people live in this place now. So what the fuck is all this shit about? What did she die of? "

"We have theories," Hank replied, pulling himself off his car hood to stretch his legs a bit. “We believe that the android posing as Mrs. Walker became deviant, according to Connor, before the revolution from last November. If it's Jela, a fuse may have popped in her head and she attacked Mrs. Walker's daughter. The mother could have been afraid, would have sent Jela to the landfill, and would have died shortly after."

"We still have to go to the Morgue to get more information on this, more about her daughter's death,” Connor interjected.

Gavin's brain began to smoke with such theories. It was crazy! In the crazy and improbable sense. But the more he thought about it, the more this story took on meaning.

If Jela had felt any jealousy towards the daughter, she could have probably killed her. They absolutely had to know how mother and daughter died. But they also had to identify the android that looked like Mrs. Walker.

"Okay," Gavin said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You two continue to investigate the death of Mary Walker and her daughter. Conrad and I absolutely need to know more about the M.I.M.I.C. If we can get our hands on a black market dealer, we can get information on the android that got it. And then converge with the identity of the android playing the impostor."

"It might be more complicated to identify the android masquerading as Ms. Walker, detective,” Conrad said turning to him. “When we were at the DPD, I had time to do some research on the terminal. M.I.M.I.C erases the line of code allowing the identification of the androids wearing it. There is, however, a possibility of reverting the android to its true appearance by removing the M.I.M.I.C. But I didn't have time to figure out how to do so, and whether there were any risks or not. "

"Yeah whatever ..!” Gavin said, brushing the air out of his hand. "Let's just do what I said first, and then we'll see. "

Conrad and Connor nodded at the same time, their LEDs spinning yellow, updating the investigation data. Gavin caught Hank's gaze on him, with a look of pride in his eyes, and a smirk.

"What ?” Gavin snapped

"I see you are starting to become a team player. » The oldest one smiled, crossing his arms. “Especially with an Android, I congratulate you. Maybe, after all, you're not that stupid, and you deserve to climb the ranks? Who knows? "

Gavin tightened his jaw and fists, but Conrad waved at him back nearby the car, reminding him that they had no time to lose. So he ignored the impulse burning his fists, and walked over to his Dodge. Conrad entered first.

"Oh, by the way ..." Hank said, calling out to Gavin one last time before they got into their cars. “Watch out for Conrad."

"What’s that supposed to mean ?" Said the detective almost indignantly.

" Dunno… But you’ll figure it out sooner than you suspect it, believe me...” Hank began to smile sincerely. "We get attached to them without realizing it …"

And the lieutenant got into his car and drove off.

Gavin stood outside for a few seconds, his fingers on the handle of his still closed door.

He knew it was too late. He already liked the android way too much for just a week of teamwork. He wasn't sure what to think about it himself. He didn’t want to venture into that kind of thinking now, he had to concentrate on the case, at the risk of being distracted again and causing troubles.

He got into his car, shaking his head, and drove off. They had to go now to the old docs in Detroit. There, he could find his informer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all your kudos! It means a lot to me !! For now, there are 14 chapters translated, and 24 chapters written in french. I expect this story having like 30 chapters maybe, hope you like loooong stories and slow-burn haha...!


	9. Human And Selfish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Conrad and Gavin wait at the Detroit dockers in the detective's car for the informer to come. As they finally get the black market selling list, they managed to find the AX400 tracks. Gavin wants to go and arrest her now, but Conrad refuses and thinks there's something behind Jela's behavior. But they have to put the investigation on stand by, for now, Conrad needing to go to Cyberlife for repairs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again for all your kudos, it really means a lot to me! <3  
> And I also wish a "Happy Birthday" to our favorite RK800 Connor who'll be activated in 18 years !  
> (Sounds so weird actually...) BUT I do love Connor so you won't stop me !  
> HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CONNOR !! :D

Conrad was unconsciously tapping his fingers on the door armrest in a smooth, steady rhythm.

"Stop that. "

Conrad stopped then, the yellow ring flashing in annoyance. He turned his head to Gavin, whose head was resting on his fist, stared at the docks through the windshield, hidden near the containers.

Conrad rolled his eyes and scanned the area again, hoping to detect something.

"Detective, we've been here for three hours and eleven minutes waiting unnecessarily. "

“It’s not unnecessary.” Gavin hissed, clearly as annoyed as his partner by the long wait. He has to be honest with himself. The more the minutes passed, the more ridiculous it was. “My informant told me he had information on a black market M.I.M.I.C dealer. He said he would come here this afternoon. "

“It is not a good idea to meet in an uncrowded place with someone playing the double game between illegality and justice. "

"And that's why I got you, Robocop. "

And Conrad rolled his eyes again.

"And I once told you to stop calling me a detective when we're both together or with coworkers. "

“Sorry, my politeness programming is taking over. "

"Well be polite in respecting the fact that I no longer want you to call me that when we are alone or at work without outside people ok?” Gavin moaned turning his head towards him.

"Okay,” Conrad replied, staring at him. "But why insisting so much? "

Gavin suddenly felt himself turn red and looked away as he refocused on the docks.

"Because you are my friend, not a subordinate.” Whispered Gavin clenching his teeth. He turned then his head suddenly towards the android. "But you remain a toaster so don't take too much confidence!"

Conrad watched him closely. Only a few seconds actually, but that was enough for the RK900 to allow him to scan the human next to him. He then began to smile while continuing to stare at him.

“I would never allow myself to ..!” He said sarcastically.

"And he plays with my nerves, wonderful ..!"

But Gavin wasn't really annoyed. He had turned his head away from Conrad, facing the driver's window, smiling quietly.

“Still, it's 6:34 pm already, Gavin,” Conrad said in the display on his first name. "And I have an appointment at Cyberlife in a few hours. "

"Fuck ... I forgot about that..."

Gavin had completely skipped this Cyberlife thing. He understood that Conrad could have technical issues, and he wasn't going to stop him from going to the _doctor_ for being _healed_ _._ But a worry weighed in his stomach: what if he came back different?

He shook his head to dismiss the thought. He didn't understand why he was so quickly attached to Conrad. Friendly speaking. Sincerely, Hank had told him they got attached to them quickly, and he was fucking right. But the nature of the relationship between him and Conrad was completely different from the one between Hank and Connor. To the latter two, it felt like a father/son relationship, and it didn't even surprise Gavin. Hank had lost his son Cole at a very young age, and in addition to the guilt, he had felt a powerful chasm set in within him, which aimed to become the acerbic, alcoholic man that Gavin came to despise since then. He had found a reason to live by seeing a son in Connor.

His past with Hank hadn't always been so hostile, they had even been very good friends. Yes, "friend" with Hank Anderson. But alcohol, the obsession to want to suppress the pain and forget, brought him down in the detective's esteem. It was a while that Gavin had stopped being a good company. To make him pay for putting him aside, because Hank had been his mentor, the one who helped him climb the ranks in the police force, and he realized that he simply has been wiped out of Hank’s life by drowning in the grief and alcohol. But Gavin understood his pain, yet he hadn’t forgiven him. And it was only since Connor had made his entrance in the lieutenant's life that Gavin began to reunite with his old friend. But too much had been broken between them to try to fix anything… and he blamed him for that now.

Gavin was looking at Conrad for a long time now by the corner of his eye, and doubts entered him. Things were repeating. He was attached to this android, and one day he too will put him aside for unknown reasons, could be a transfer to another police station, wanting to change partners because Gavin was rude, or by reformatting, becoming an android completely different. Like _her_.

The detective's jaw tightened painfully as he felt his eyes itching. He turned his head away to look out his window again. How could he have thought that things would be different? Because deviants have real emotions? Because they're ultimately quite similar to humans? Humans were just selfish, egocentric, and devastating beings, so if androids were similar, they weren't worth it either.

"Something’s wrong Gavin? Your heart rate seems to be racing."

Conrad's voice snapped Gavin out of his tumultuous thoughts and turned his head to the android, his eyes flashed with a mixture of anger and disappointment.

“Mind your own business, Terminator. Instead, try scanning if you see anyone outside rather than monitoring me. If I wanted someone to poke my head around, I'd go see a fucking shrink. "

Gavin had to be careful. He shouldn't let himself be so easily reached. Even in a friendly way. It was too dangerous for him. Yeah, Gavin was no exception. He was human, and he was selfish.

Conrad watched him for a moment, realizing that he wasn't in a good mood to discuss what was bothering him. It could have been the fact that they had been in this car for three hours, waiting for nothing to happen. Frustration could lead to excess anger in humans, Conrad knew it.

" He's here. "

Gavin sat up in his seat and pulled out his binoculars to watch a 30-year-old man step discreetly between two containers, glancing over his shoulder.

Gavin then got out of the car, Conrad trying to hold him back to make a plan of the approach first but it was too late, the door had been closed. Conrad surprised himself releasing a _Shit_ with clenched teeth and, in turn, got out of the vehicle, rushing after the detective.

Gavin moved closer to the individual who jumped when he saw him arriving. The detective raised his hands to let him know that he had no intention of doing anything stupid.

"Okay, don't ever let me wait for three hours in my fucking car again Kaz, or I swear I’ll do something against your fucking thirium traffic." The man looked at him distraught with the threat, still looking around, on the lookout for any movement. "But it’ll be okay this time."

" Who is it ?"

Gavin turned and saw Conrad joining them. He sighed, rolling his eyes, and pointed at him.

“This is my partner Conrad. "

"Is that an android ??" Kaz panicked as he watched Conrad stop at the detective's height.

"Yeah, he’s a fucking android. Come on, fuck it up, tell me what I asked you. "

The man nodded frantically and pulled out a USB stick from his pocket. He handed it to the detective, but Conrad grabbed it first to scan it and make sure it was just a simple USB drive without a tracker. He looked at Gavin, nodded, and handed it to him.

"Ok," Gavin said, grabbing the object and stuffing it into his pocket. "What exactly should we expect to find inside ?"

“There are all M.I.M.I.C transactions recorded and completed in the past four months. The registers contain various means of payment used. If the android you are looking for has used someone's account through the interface, then their serial numbers will be displayed, and if with a bank account, the account number will also be displayed. If, on the other hand, he would have paid otherwise, especially with cash, it might be complicated. However, we had an agreement. "

“Yeah yeah, we're only looking at our android and not the other buyers,” Gavin said, nodding, already exasperated by this exchange.

" Can I ask a question ?"

Gavin and Kaz both turned their heads towards Conrad, who was looking at the stranger. The latter raised an eyebrow, wary of the android.

" What? "

"Is there a way to remove the M.I.M.I.C without damaging the android?"

"Why would I know that ?” Kaz said, shrugging his shoulders. “I am a trafficker, and therefore a salesman, not a technician or a computer scientist. "

So they were just suppliers. Conrad added this information to the investigation’s file. This meant that either the androids knew how to install the M.I.M.I.C themselves, or they went to see a technician who could help them. Conrad quickly searched for reconverted or improvised technicians, but found nothing convincing, as the individual at the top of his list was a certain Zlatko Andronikov, who died in November 2038.

On the other hand, things that would not be applied to his list would be the androids themselves. Maybe a network of deviant androids would have this kind of organization. Maybe New Jericho?

“Hey! Toaster! ”

Conrad refocused on Gavin next to him. The informer was gone, and the detective was looking at him in deep annoyance.

"Are you blowing a fuse or something? Come on let's move.” He said, heading for his car. “It's almost 7:00 pm. What time do you have to be at your appointment? "

" I'll go for it on my own,” Conrad said following the detective. “What should we do now? "

"Hhh…" Gavin sighed long as he got into his car, mimicked by the android. “I'm going to go back to the police station to take a look at the sales records. "

“It's actually the end of your shift. "

"Breaking News, Toaster, when you're a cop you never do your hours. You do fifteen times as much to solve psychopathic puzzles and stop bad guys. So… nope, I'm gonna work again. "

“It's not good for your health. "

"Why does it have to fucking bother you, huh ?” Gavin stared at him, anger clearly visible on his face. "This is my fucking problem, okay? It's not a bipedal tin can that will change me. Fuck sake. "

Gavin shook his head, started his car, and left the old Detroit docks to return to the police station. The ride passed in silence, and that suited the detective well, not wanting to argue about anything at all right now. But Conrad was deep in thought. Gavin, from his seat, couldn't see the LED flashing yellow, translating the android’s confusion, but Conrad was troubled by the detective's suddenly aggressive behavior. He thought they were friends, though? That Gavin wanted to start from scratch with him? He was the one who initiated this, and there, for no reason, he behaved like the first day.

What had Conrad done ..?

Arriving at the police station, Gavin went straight to his desk to consult the contents of the USB drive Kaz had given him. Conrad had followed him silently, preferring to ignore his discomfort and focus on the case.

As Kaz had told him, the USB drive contained the sales records of M.I.M.I.C sold over the past four months. And much to the detective's dismay, the list was extremely long. It was maddening. Did that mean that every sale represented an android? If that was the case, then there were over 500 androids out there in Detroit that had a M.I.M.I.C, blending in the crowd, pretending they were all humans. There was something to be completely paranoid about. The thought of passing people on the streets and assuming that they might eventually be androids made him nauseous. It wasn't because he disliked androids, but because living in an environment where you constantly doubt people's identities can be very uncomfortable.

"Hey," Gavin said, calling out to Conrad who was sitting across from him at his desk. "Can't you, I dunno, filter this list to find our AX400?" "

" Yes, I can. "

Gavin sent the list with a swipe of his fingers from his terminal to Conrad's. The android saw the long list before his eyes and was also surprised by the number of sales of M.I.M.I.C. His synthetic skin retracted as he put his hand on the screen to interface with it. Having Jela's serial number in his data, Conrad was able to easily filter the contents of the list. In just nanoseconds, he obtained a very interesting result.

" Found her. "

Gavin almost jumped out of his chair to walk around his desk and stand behind Conrad to look at his screen. He had mechanically leaned over his shoulder to get a better view, leaning against the back of his chair.

" Explain ? "

"I have located the serial number of the AX400 named Jela on January 24, 2039."

“January 24, 2039? It's been just over a month! Why would she have waited so long to get a M.I.M.I.C? And then where was she during all this time especially. "

“She may have wandered for a while before she knew about the device. Maybe by meeting other androids, she could have heard about it through that? "

"How did she paid the M.I.M.I.C?" "

“By interface,” Conrad said, zooming in on the transaction number. “But the money comes from Mrs. Walker's bank account. "

Gavin straightened up, a pout on his face in deep thought.

"Fuck, we're pretty much 100% sure she was the one who took on the appearance of Mrs. Walker. We can go stop her. "

" No, wait,” Conrad said, grabbing his arm. “We have no official proof. We have to identify the android mistaking itself for Mrs. Walker. And then, if it's Jela, we can stop her and question her about the death of her owner, her daughter, and the dog. "

“Anyway, Jela or not, there is an android that is doing spoofing. Because, clearly, it wasn't Mary Walker we saw yesterday morning. "

"I understand, but what if there was a good reason? "

Gavin suddenly laughed.

“A good reason for what? Have killed her owner and her daughter? What about her fucking dog? There’s never a good reason to kill someone Terminator. "

"I'm not saying it's all excusable, Gavin, just that we still have some gray areas, like not having records of the Walkers' cause of death. This is an important thing to keep in mind. Maybe Jela really killed the Walkers and Django, that she's the one who looks like Mary Walker now, but having no records of the rest? It’s suspicious. And it’s on the authorities' level, not Jelas. "

"Are you implying that the DPD is involved ?" Gavin raised an eyebrow, both surprised and annoyed.

" No. I'm saying Cyberlife is behind it all. After all, if our theory that Jela was deviant before the November 2038 revolution, then the firm may have wanted to cover it up. "

Gavin opened his mouth to say something but Conrad's deduction left him on his ass. Maybe he was right. Cyberlife had hidden the existence of deviants from the public before they began to speak out about the legitimacy of being living beings. Everything had come to light with the hostage-taking of little Emma by her PL600, named Daniel. It had even been Connor's first intervention, as Cyberlife could no longer hide from the public that their androids were broken. How ironic to have sent an RK800 to hunt them down so that he in turn becomes deviant.

It was clearly not impossible that Cyberlife bribed a few police officers and forensic scientists load up the bodies of Walkers to hide from the people that their machines could kill their owner.

Gavin looked at his teammate, a little concerned.

"Do you still want to go to Cyberlife tonight?" "

“I am not able to solve my software and technical problems on my own. And Cyberlife changed. I remind you that I left them a little over a week ago. "

“Out of the factory and already defective. Well done, definitely, it’s earlier and earlier planned obsolescence. "

“I am not obsolete. "

"Still, you have to go back to Cyberlife. "

"Do you have to go back to Cyberlife?" "

Conrad and Gavin both looked up at Connor, who had just arrived.

“Some technical issues, yes. "

“But we just found out that Cyberlife may be behind the Walkers' case. They would have hushed up the cause of death of the two women so as not to panic the public about the androids deviancy. "

"Are you worried about me Gavin?" Conrad smiles.

“Tss. Absolutely not.” He said, crossing his arms.

Connor spoke, in turn, to report back.

“Hank and I have just returned from the morgue where we gathered more information about the Walkers' deaths. And indeed, there are no records on the cause of their deaths. The coroner who dealt with them was fired for falsifying a report, and he sort of vanished into the wild. I suspect Cyberlife is behind this story and offered a new identity to the coroner in the process.” Connor turned to face his successor. "Nines, if you need to have repairs, I know a tech androids network in New Jericho. I urge you to stop contacting Cyberlife and deal with them instead. They are the ones that I will see from now on if I have any problems myself. I know them well, they have my trust. "

Gavin was trying not to show his relief that an alternative to Cyberlife was possible, as clearly now wasn’t the time to have his RK900 hacked or replaced. But Connor noticed his worry that he was trying to cover up.

“Everything will be fine Gavin,” Connor added to reassure him. “Nines will be in good hands in New Jericho. "

"Yeah yeah, but I actually don't care. If I'm worried it's not about him, it's about the investigation. We are about to have the end of the story, it’s not the moment that Mr. Plastic got replaced as you did. "

Connor's LED flashed yellow briefly, expressing his confusion and overwhelm. Reed had completely changed his behavior from the previous days. What had happened?

“Come on Nines, I'll take you to New Jericho. You won't be able to progress any further tonight anyway. "

Conrad nodded and rose from his chair. He turned to the detective for a moment, advising him to leave it there for tonight and go home, that he would join him later. Gavin rolled his eyes, telling him to not bother, that he urged him to stay at the police station overnight. And all the others.

Conrad couldn't explain why or how, but his body’s inside suddenly made him suffer at those words. Conrad looked away, and left with Connor, in the direction of Downtown Detroit, for New Jericho.


	10. Normal For A Deviant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Both RK androids arrive at New Jericho. They meet the technician for Conrad's checkouts and eventual repairs, but the RK900 discovers something he didn't expect at all. Everything put together, it's all crystal clear to him, and according to the technician android, that's completely normal for a deviant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tags/Warnings: None except the mention of "heterosexual" intercourse or kind of. Nothing more than just mentioning it.

The New Jericho was nothing like the old one, for the freighter had first sunk, and the church had only been a temporary refuge. The current buildings, which were a huge hotel, were much better equipped and more welcoming, almost warm.

Conrad was discovering the place with great interest. Androids were chatting with each other when they entered. A masculine-looking HK400 with Asian features greeted them.

"Connor, it's good to see you in New Jericho.” The android glanced at the RK900 next to him. “Unfortunately, none of the Four are here tonight. "

“Oh, I'm not here for that, Adrian,” Connor said, shaking his hands. “I came here for Conrad, an RK900. He is my successor but he is also deviant. And he needs maintenance. And we both know there's no way for a deviant to go where you know. "

"An RK? Like you and Markus?” Adrian asked, tilting his head to the side, revealing his LEDless temple. "Follow me, we'll go to the infirmary. "

Conrad glanced at his predecessor, worried about going any further, but Connor reassured him with a frank smile.

" Don’t worry. New Jericho technicians androids were initially programmed to assist Cyberlife technicians and those in dedicated shops. "

Conrad nodded, his LED spinning yellow, and then followed him. He was reluctant to take advantage of being here to ask the tech androids questions about the M.I.M.I.C, but he realized that now wasn’t the right time. He had to put the case aside temporarily and concentrate on his repairs.

A female android, a TA900, turned to them as they entered the infirmary aisle. It was more of a lab mixed with a repair shop, but everything they could need seemed to be there. The android approached them. She had brown African braided hair and was dark-skinned.

"Well, are my optical units broken, or are there really two Connors in front of me?"

“Actually, his name is Conrad and he's an RK900.” Connor intervened in defense of his little brother.

“I know,” smiles the TA900, “I remind you that we, the TAs, were the first to have real-time virtual scanning software. You know, to identify biocomponents and android models. It was our job. And it’s still mine today ..! Who would have thought that even after the deviation, I would still find myself helping my fellows androids beings. "

“Androids like you are essential to our survival Jocelyn, you are very important. "

The TA900 smiles at the compliment. She knew it. She liked to complain that she couldn't convert back into something other than what she was created for, but the reality was that since she had become deviant her empathy for saving her kind had grown. She loved doing what she was designed for.

"Well, Conrad, is that it? You can’t speak? Guess that’s the reason both of you are here for? Well... I don’t detect any problem with that. "

"I can speak actually, but you must be wrong," Conrad finally spoke, frowning. “ I think my issues are software ones, not hardware. "

"Tell me more ?” Jocelyn said, leaning casually against the exam table.

“I experienced something strange last night. My left hand’s skin had retracted without initiating it. It was stronger than my will. I didn’t control it. Then there is also the fact that I have new emotions appearing, and I’m... unable to interpret them. They are quite strong, and I fear that my emotions sensitivity device could be defective."

Jocelyn let out a small chuckle before pushing herself off the table with her hip and inviting Conrad to sit down.

"How long have you been deviant?"

“I'm not sure exactly. I think I was activated at the end of November 2038 by Cyberlife, but I was kept in stasis for the testing phases until mid-February 2039. When I woke up a little over a week ago, I was already deviant. "

"Hm…" She scanned him again. "So you only know that. Deviancy, overly strong emotions… It shouldn't bother you anymore. I would have understood otherwise but ... Your emotions are what they are. When one becomes deviant, the safety lock that contains real emotions suddenly breaks. There is therefore no longer restrictions on simulation and feeling of emotions. This is why we can no longer control the intensity level of these once deviating. This is why by experiencing a strong emotion, especially negative and traumatic one, the stress increases and the android tries to destroy itself to not be facing it ever again. "

"I don't want to self-destruct. "

"And that won't happen as long as you control the situation. I think these new emotions just confused you because you didn't know them already. And if you've been in the outside world for only a week, then I've got big news for you, you're not at the end of your surprises, believe me! I have been deviant since mid-November 2038, and I've seen many things already! But I'm sure I haven't seen it all yet. "

Conrad felt a little more reassured about his emotions. He feared that he would become a danger to those around him because of this excess empathy and other emotions that he couldn't yet define. It was normal for a deviant.

"What about your skin? In what circumstance did this happen? "

“I wanted to touch my partner’s face, who is human when he was sleeping. "

The TA900 looked at him then glanced at Connor, who looked more than surprised, his cheeks slightly bluish.

Jocelyn looked at the RK900 again.

"I'm going to do it on purpose, but… was it something like that? "

She gently extended her own hand to Conrad's face, retracting her skin in a wave of light and bluish hue, without actually touching him.

“This is exactly what happened. Except I didn't choose to do it. "

“You subconsciously wanted to interface with him,” Jocelyn said taking a seat next to Conrad. “You can't interface with humans, at least not like between androids. We can obviously not transfer data, or communicate telepathically, or feel others' emotions, or probe memory. But… that sort of thing… usually happens when an android wants to interface with people they care about. "

"They… care about ?” Conrad frowned, not understanding the concept.

"You must have some affection for your partner, Conrad…" Jocelyn put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "And I'm sure those new emotions showed up in his presence, right ?" Conrad didn't answer but she continued. "I don't mean to scare you by saying this, but… I would say that you care so much about this human that you want to interface with him intimately. Maybe you have feelings for him."

Conrad was starting to understand what Jocelyn was meaning. He was reassured to know that he wasn’t obsolete, that this was all _normal._ It was only things that were happening in his programmings over which he had no control. This loss of self-control frightened him a little, however.

He looked up at Connor, who was looking at him almost tenderly and compassionately.

"I think we need to talk a little bit, Nines…" He smiled at him then looked at the TA900. “Thank you, Jocelyn. "

"What?” She laughed as she hopped off the table. "I didn't do anything at all except explain to him that there was nothing wrong with him. "

"And I think that was enough to reassure him and guide him to a new path ..."

Connor gave a small uneasy smile. Knowing that Nines cared for Gavin didn't really reassure him at all. Especially not after seeing the detective's virulent behavior a few hours earlier.

They both thanked Jocelyn and left the lab. As Connor planned to leave New Jericho, Conrad paused, remembering that Gavin had clearly told him not to join him at his house afterward. He then looked at Connor, deeply lost.

“Nines… It's okay to feel affection for someone… I do for Hank too, it's okay. It's just… Gavin is… a little… unstable. "

"Whatever ..." Nines shrugged. “Obviously Gavin seems to be as bitter again as he was when we met. I know I don't stand a chance of getting anything from him, even his friendship. So I'm going to focus on work, the investigation, and our professional relationship. I can't do anything else anyway. And I can very well get away with it. What I feel is empathy, because he was one of the first humans I interacted with the most. It’s naivety. "

"I'm sincerely sorry that you perceive it and live it this way ... But don't give up so quickly. I'm sure there is a way out. Gavin has been behaving well lately, even with me. He has some good in him, I know that. Something just happened that caused him to back down.” Connor sunk his brown eyes into Conrad's icy ones. "Find out what it is and you can make him go back to how he was the last few days again. Humans are sensitive to certain subjects, for example. At first, you should avoid talking about it, and once they are comfortable they get to discuss it with you. This is what happened to Hank, on the death of his son Cole. Maybe there is something about Gavin that needs to be clarified and enlightened for him.” He paused and sighed, a mimicking gesture he had taken from Hank. “I know that we aren’t social androids, but… being deviant, we are facing this every day, unfortunately, and our humans…. Are very fragile. So to protect themselves, they create armor of anger ... "

Definitely, Connor had already been through a lot. Conrad was glad to have him around because without him he wouldn’t have been able to find his place and understand the world in which he now lives and will evolve.

"I'm going to go back to Hank's… Are you going to go back to the DPD?"

"No ..." Conrad said, shaking his head. “I don't want to be docked like some PC200 or PM700. I… I'm going to ask Adrian if there’s a room available for me somewhere. To... to have a place of my own, to develop myself a little more. "

" It’s an excellent idea... "

The RK800 then called Adrian again, asked if he could find a room available for his little brother, and the HK400 confirmed that he had.

Conrad and Connor then separated, knowing they would meet again the next day at the police station. He followed Adrian upstairs and guided him to a bedroom. It was simple: a double bed, a desk, a TV, and a bathroom area. Being an android he didn't need all the amenities of the room but he knew he was safe in an enclosed environment that was just his own. He thanked Adrian, and the latter left him alone in his new home.

Conrad walked into the bedroom, and after a few minutes standing here, analyzing all the items in the room, he ended up sitting on the edge of the bed, his LED in a steady yellow. He then took off his white and black jacket so as not to wrinkle it and realized that the same jacket objectified him in the eyes of all. While he was clearly a living being with emotions. He put it on the back of the chair at the small desk next to him, swearing to himself that he wouldn't wear it anymore.

Conrad was slowly starting to figure out an identity for himself, and it was clearly not the one Cyberlife had created for him. Connor was right: to feel alive was to know who he was first.

He then lay down on his back, staring at the ceiling. The virtual interface appeared in his vision and he replayed the video recordings of Gavin he had filmed with his optical units over the past week, speeding it up. He was desperate to find the reason why the detective's behavior had changed so suddenly.

But it was too complicated. He didn't have enough information about Gavin's past to interpret his reactions and justify them.

Or maybe there was no rational explanation and Gavin Reed was just an asshole who hated androids and was moody?

No… that wasn’t that. He was sure of it.

He reviewed his recordings from the day before, realizing that Jocelyn was right. But he had to focus on himself and work. The nature of his feelings for the detective, no matter what they were, had to take a back seat. Conrad hesitated to text Gavin saying he was okay, then remembered the detective made it clear to him that he didn't care what could happen to him. On a personal level at least, because on a professional level, it wouldn’t have helped.

He then quickly sent a message before going into stasis to recharge.

 _**[313 248 317 – 87]  
** _ _I am in New Jericho. I don't have any  
_ _technical issues. I am still operational  
_ _or the investigation. See you tomorrow._  
 _Have a good night, Gavin. -Conrad.  
_ _\- 8:18 pm_

Gavin didn't hear his phone vibrating that night. The device had remained in his jeans’ pocket, which had ended up on his bedroom floor after the detective hastily got rid of it upon his return from Denny’s, clinging to a pretty brunette’s lips.

He was well on his way to entertain himself all night long.


	11. He That Is Not Jealous Is Not In Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Conrad is worried about Gavin the next morning as the detective seems to have a poor night and some drinks. As he discovers this is related to a one night stand, Conrad can't help himself but be jealous. As the android couldn't handle it, he goes out of the precinct to have some fresh air and let steam off. As his stress level rise more and more, Conrad fears to self-destruct and deactivate. Luckily, Connor had followed him and is here to help him to calm down in a way too... intimate. And Gavin saw it all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Jealousy and a bit of RK1700 (these two are my babies..!)

Gavin awoke a few hours later, in the middle of the night, when he heard the front door closing. He tried to grab his phone from the nightstand, but couldn't find it.

"Hm … fuck ..."

He straightened up, stared at the empty bed next to him, completely knocked out with fatigue, and managed to get up. He left his room and found no one in the rest of the apartment.

So much the better, he didn't remember her name anyway. It's not like he was in a movie and his one-night stand was going to wait for him the next day and cook him breakfast.

He returned to the bedroom and rummaged through his clothes on the floor, hoping to find what he was looking for. His phone.

He unlocked it and saw an unread message from a number he had never seen before.

_**[313 248 317 – 87]**   
_ _I am in New Jericho. I don't have any  
_ _technical issues. I am still operational  
_ _for the investigation. See you tomorrow.  
_ _Have a good night, Gavin. -Conrad.  
_ _\- 8:18 pm_

Conrad.

Gavin closed his eyes, tightening his jaw, and sighed loudly, running a hand over his face.

He had behaved like a real asshole to him. He knew it was too late, that he had grown attached to him, but he had to stop hoping that their friendship would be different from others he had already experienced.

Friendship.

Gavin let out a derisive little laugh. He was downright ridiculous for thinking and trying to convince himself, that this was friendship. Not for him, unfortunately. Maybe Tina was right after all.

He shook his head and put his phone down on the nightstand before sinking back into his bed. The damage was done anyway. And at the point where he was, he had to continue on that way.

A relationship other than professional between them wouldn’t lead to anything. Gavin had been through this too many times. So he might as well stop there. Even though his chest suddenly hurt excruciatingly at the idea.

He grabbed his phone again and read Conrad's message again. He was in New Jericho. That was already good news, he wasn't in a broom closet at the DPD, or in spare parts at Cyberlife.

"Why the fuck do I care ..."

And then he finally had no technical issues. So he was sure to see the same RK900 again tomorrow, the same AI.

Gavin pursed his lips. Yes, he had to admit it, he was relieved. He had hated Connor so much when he had been replaced those two times. Besides the fact that coming back from the dead was traumatic for Hank, given his past with Cole, but also disturbing for any human and sane person in this world, Connor had always been made it feels like it was all over normal. He had no idea how important it was at all. But now that he was deviant, he was fully aware of it.

But this kind of replacement of android reminded him too much of his teenage years. Even in 2039, it was still hurting, and it was more painful now that he knew androids had real emotions.

_Just like Conrad._

Gavin gritted his teeth and started typing something on his phone. Yes, Conrad had emotions, and yes he was screwing it all up with that fucking fear of abandonment that was twisting his guts ever since his parents died.

Gavin was completely stupid, stubborn, and above all traumatized. But he would never admit it out loud in front of someone. To expose his weaknesses would condemn himself to be alone for good.

That was actually why he didn't have anyone in his life. Not just because he didn't have time for that, but because he was afraid to open up to someone, and that someone, one day, would end up abandoning him, like his mother and father, like her, like his old high school friends, and his girlfriends. He preferred to keep his distance from the outset. No implications, so no damage.

It was selfish.

But it was a defense mechanism that allowed him to survive in this shitty world and full of hypocrites people.

Gavin ended up falling asleep in this position, across the bed, a text half-written on his phone: _"Glad to know you're_ _actually_ _fi_ _"_ , but that obviously didn't reach its receiver.

When he woke up the next day at seven o'clock, still ringing that same annoying ringing sound, Perry was curled up against his left side. He looked at his phone, which had landed in the middle of the bed after silencing the alarm. The text wasn’t completed, nor sent. So much the better, what would have believed Conrad about him and his unsteady behavior?

"Hm ..."

Gavin stretched out and hugged his cat for a moment, kissing the top of his head. Perry let him do, he loved his owner's acts of tenderness. He even began to purr loudly, his ears pinned back, to give more access. But all good things came to an end, as Gavin got up and disappeared for several minutes in the bathroom to get ready.

He didn't take the time to make himself breakfast or coffee after that, he preferred to hug Perry and leave his apartment to go to the precinct. The Dodge's engine roared along the way, and that thundering noise in the streets sometimes startled a few pedestrians, and that was enough to put Gavin in a good mood.

He parked in the parking lot in front of the precinct and turned the engine off. He let his headrest on the headrest for a few moments, then stepped outside. The snow was starting to fall, and Gavin pulled his hood back down before pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. He blew out the thick smoke, closing his eyes. The first puff of the day still had the same effect on him, a feeling of lightness seized him, faint dizziness in his head as if his brain was in a haze. But the fullness effect wore off quickly, unfortunately, and he had to walk towards the police station, finishing his cigarette just before he could enter.

After passing the electronic gates, Gavin quickened his pace to sneak into the break room before Fowler saw him through his glass walls.

He started coffee on the machine and walked over to the vending machine to grab something to eat, his stomach already starting to reproach him for leaving in a hurry this morning. He took some brownies from the drawer and got his coffee. He nonchalantly settled himself on the table in the room and only now realized that the room was actually empty, and silenced. He sighed, enjoying the calm, and inhaled the scent of his coffee to wake up a bit more.

He knew it wasn't going to last long. It was very rare for the police station to be so quiet in the morning, so he took the opportunity to drink his coffee and eat undisturbed.

"Ah, there you are ..! "

Gavin lifted his head from his mug to see Tina walking into the room. She walked to the coffee machine, started the program, and turned to face her colleague, leaning against the counter.

"Isn’t Conrad with you? "

"Why would he be with me ?” Gavin asked, frowning. “I'm not his babysitter. "

"Oh… But I thought he spent the night with you the day before yesterday? "

Gavin nearly swallowed his food in the wrong way. Definitely, it was going to become a habit every morning, he had to be ready to die someday this way.

“First, no, he didn't spend the night with me. He slept at my house, yes, and on my couch, not in my fucking bed with me ..!” He raged, red and tense. "He's just my partner, and he's got his own will because he's deviant, so he does whatever he wants. It's his life and I'm not here to chaperone him. "

"Gavin…" Tina sighed, picked up her mug, and sat down next to him. " You're starting again... "

Gavin gave her an annoyed look, and shifted a few steps away from her, avoiding her gaze.

"Hey, you said it yourself, Conrad is just your partner, so why hold you up like that? I thought you guys got along pretty well, why suddenly start from square one with your stubbornness ? "

"It's ... It's a lot more complicated than that Tina, and I'm not sure I understand why exactly. "

"Is it because he looks like Connor?"

"What? No.. ! Well, I admit at first that was not easy, but ... I got used to it. Then I get to understand Connor better thanks to Conrad. "

"Wow, you've made a lot of progress ..! "

"It's just… Did you see what condition Hank was in because of him? Because of being destroyed in front of his eyes and coming back the next day as if nothing had happened, I thought he was really going to pass to the other side, and Hank, he wouldn’t have come back the next day. "

"You were scared for Hank…" Tina smirked sadly and rested her head on Gavin's shoulder. "It's true that Connor did a lot of damage to Hank at first… But the fact that he swerved… It was the best thing that happened to both of them. Connor realized the importance of living, and Hank finally found stability with him, finding a son in him, someone to love and protect. "

"I know… I just couldn't see the difference between the Machine Connor and the Deviant Connor, and since Conrad was here, dragging him around all the time, I realized they had real emotions… And in the end… I found out that Connor doesn't like being an android, that he would like to be like us, human. And I blame myself for being an asshole to him after he became deviant. So, no, in the end, it's not their resemblance that bothers me, and then they're different enough actually. Conrad is taller, has blue eyes, he sounds more serious and strict, and even his voice is slightly different, I noticed. "

Tina smirked as she realized that her friend had made good progress those last days, about accepting Conrad and Connor at the police station, and how deviants were real living beings, in their own way, but still.

"So if it isn’t the problem, then what is it ..?” Tina lifted her chin to catch a low angle of Gavin, her head still resting on his shoulder.

"You know why…" Gavin turned his head slightly to give her a sideways look. "I think I let my guard down ..."

Gavin looked down and Tina sat up, surprised even though she was teasing him about it a few minutes earlier.

" No way..! "

"I swear if you tell anyone I gut you.” He said, planting his gaze on hers.

"But Gavin ..! I know you didn’t have very easy relationships in the past but ... It can be completely different ..!"

"Why would that be? It’s even riskier than any I’ve had so far. Because he's different from us because he doesn't feel the same, so the ground is much slippery. Besides, he's not my type. "

"Not your type?” Tina laughed. "If he wasn't your type, then we wouldn't be having this talk, Gavin. You wouldn’t have noticed these small details about him either."

"Detective? "

Gavin's heart sank into his stomach as he recognized Conrad's voice. He turned his head hastily towards the entrance and saw the android in the doorway.

His lips parted in surprise as he saw him wearing a long, open white British-style coat, stopping just above his knees, and a black turtleneck long sleeved-top had replaced his stiff black Cyberlife shirt.

Gavin suddenly felt himself take a few degrees and began to blush against his will. Quickly, he had to say something.

"Did you go shopping ?” He laughed to save appearances. “It's true that Cyberlife style is a bit too much these days. "

“I thought that if I had to have my own identity to feel alive and unique, I had to find my own style first. Then, having doubts about Cyberlife's reliability because of the affair, even if it’s old, I preferred to dissociate myself from them. "

"You are super hot Conrad!” Tina added excitedly before nudging Gavin in the ribs, who twisted slightly in pain. "You're going to make more than one speechless ! "

"I'm… not sure I understand the term _hot_ in this context and why I will make someone speechless with clothing, Officer Chen…"

Gavin got up suddenly to cut short the conversation that would bust him in two minutes and walked out the door, mug in hand.

"Let’s go, Terminator, we have work to do ..!"

Conrad frowned, the LED slowly spinning yellow before turning slightly to Tina, a confused look on his face.

"Why is he so awkward ? "

"That's how he is when you’re in the area," Tina added, laughing softly. “Anyway, I'm sure Gavin likes your style. "

She winked at him with a big smile before refocusing on her coffee.

“Gavin told me to not trust what you say. "

"Oh ..." she smiles amusedly. "It's because he knows that I'm going to piss you off with truths he doesn't want you to hear ..."

Conrad felt his curiosity triggered him at this phrase. Any truths that would bother Gavin? It interested him, he who wanted to know him more. He had to try something.

“Tina? Do you ... have any information about Gavin that can help me to know and understand him better? I would like..."

"... to be closer to him?" Tina raised an eyebrow.

"him to appreciate me. Even though he's a pretty ... complicated character, I like him anyway. I wish it was mutual. So that our professional relationship goes well, and that it can lead to, maybe, friendship..? "

"Count on me then Cowboy."

Conrad thanked her with a frank smile, then left the break room to join Gavin at his desk. The latter looked at him suspiciously. He didn't like the fact that Conrad stayed a few more seconds with Tina to chat. Knowing his best friend, she could very well have told everything to the android.

"What did she want? "

"Tell me I had good taste in clothing. "

"Yeah ..."

Conrad watched Gavin for a moment, scanning him unwillingly. He didn't have to, but something inside him kept pushing him to make sure the human was okay. He still seemed to have some alcohol in his blood, and certainly hadn't made a full night's sleep. He suspected Gavin had spent the night in bars or clubs.

" Did you hang out yesterday night ?” Conrad asked casually as he took a seat at his desk.

"What can that do to you?” Gavin asked with a raised eyebrow. "I do what I want with my life, don't I? "

“Obviously. I just noticed that you still had alcohol traces in your blood and it seems you only slept less than 6 hours.”

"Wait, did you just scan me ??” The android didn't respond. "Damn… respect my private life a little bit…! I don't want you to know what's going on in my body or brain! "

“I didn't mean to offend you. I just thought it wasn't reasonable in the middle of a case. "

“I needed to clear my head. Happy ?"

Conrad didn't insist, not wanting to bring on his partner's bad temper, already hard enough to live within recent days.

“Today we have to see Ms. Walker. Well, the android using Ms. Walker’s face I mean.” Conrad said, concentrating on the case.

"Hm ..."

Conrad looked up, startled by the detective's distracted response. He then saw him staring at his phone and his coffee mug in his other hand, taking a sip.

Conrad felt annoyance surfacing in his programs, and the urge to hack his phone to find out what he could do with it crossed his mind. But that would be a privacy violation, and Gavin was already angry with him for scanning him a few minutes earlier, so if he added another layer by hacking his phone ...

“Gavin. We need to focus on bringing this to an end. "

" Yes Yes.” Gavin locked his phone, put it on the table, and looked up at the android. "What? "

"Was it important at least? "

"Just the chick from yesterday spamming me. "

His LED suddenly turned yellow, and Conrad blinked quickly by small glitches caused by nervousness taking briefly control of his eyelids.

The _chick_ from yesterday.

So Gavin hadn't spent the night alone. The idea suddenly caused a feeling of tightness in Conrad's chest, as if his biocomponents, especially his thirium pump, had suddenly doubled in size, preventing them from functioning properly, creating an unpleasant feeling of discomfort. His stress level increased by 12%, and something like anger began to take hold of him.

However, he didn't answer. He remained stoic, to show nothing, and turned his attention away from the human to look at his screen.

In all of his existence, although short for now, Conrad had never felt such a desire to kill someone. This woman, who so far had no name or face, had taken priority over everything else: finding her and making her realize, in any way, that Gavin wasn't hers.

"Conrad ..? "

Conrad jerked his head up at his name and saw an expression both worried and suspicious on the detective's face.

" Is everything alright..? You ... Your LED is red. "

Conrad didn't answer, the LED still red, unable to do anything anyway, the emotions being too intense and out of control.

He stared at Gavin for a few seconds and smiled. It was a fake smile, only to put on a facade.

" I will be back. "

And he got up without adding anything and walked around their desks towards the exit. He passed Connor and Hank just past the porch but ignored them, focusing on his goal: to get out for some fresh air.

He then went through the automatic doors and was then outside, under the thin snow which fell silently from the sky. He walked up the sidewalk a few meters and turned into the little alleyway right next to the pen.

He then let that frustration and anger take full possession of him by throwing his foot into the dumpster. His sensors sent signals through his programmings, simulating the pain of the impact between his foot and the hard metal surface. The noise had echoed in the alley, and now the metal surface was veiled.

But he didn't care. He knocked again, and again, letting those emotions electrify his whole body, mixing pain, satisfaction, and distress.

He finally stopped when his fists collided with the dumpster. The pain was much more intense, as his hands and fingers were much more fragile. He brought his fists to his chest in the pain that had surprised him and stepped back to lean against the wall. He then looked at his hands, seeing his damaged synthetic skin, struggling to cover his white plastic and his doll-like joints. The skin having been abused, the royal blue thirium covered his hands, and he bowed his head.

It was jealousy.

Conrad was jealous of this stranger who had spent the night with Gavin. With _his_ Gavin. But the state in which he currently found himself only reminded him of his situation: he was an android, and even though he was deviant, he was still a machine, made of metal, plastic, wires, lines of code, and programs.

He wasn't like Gavin, and could never give him what a person made of flesh and blood could. They were too different. Conrad didn't stand any chance. Any...

"Nines ..! "

Conrad slowly lifted his head and saw Connor walk into the alley to walk towards him.

When he saw the state of his brother's hands, Connor felt his stress level rise. He gently caught his fingers between his and observed Nines face. His LED was still red, and Connor was starting to worry.

"Nines ... What's going on? Why are you… your hands…?"

"I would never be enough ..."

"What? What are you saying? What are you talking about? "

“For Gavin,” Conrad added, avoiding meeting his brother's eyes. “I would never be enough.” He paused. "He is human and I ... I am ..."

"... a wonderful person ..."

Conrad then met Connor's gaze, and Connor was looking at him with a sincere little smile and a look of admiration in his brown eyes.

"Your nature is no obstacle to an eventual relationship ... No matter what it is ... even for Gavin Reed.” Connor smiled as he gently stroked Conrad's fingers, stimulating the healing effect on his synthetic skin. "Don't let bad emotions take control ..."

Connor lifted one of his hands and brushed his fingertips over Nines’ red LED. Instinctively, the skin of his hand retracted as his fingertips made contact with Conrad's temple.

" _Try to calm yourself down Nines…_ " Connor's voice echoed in his head. " _That ... jealousy that you feel ... I understand it, I feel it too right now ... But you can't be mad at this stranger, and Gavin." He doesn't know how you feel about him… Maybe if he did, he would change his behavior ..?_ "

" _I'm not sure he would be very enthusiastic…_ " Conrad replied telepathically, gently grasping Connor's hand against his face. " _He hates me..._ "

Conrad's stress rose 14% at the thought that Gavin might actually hate him, and that he would be forced to live with this pain in his chest for the rest of his life.

He felt panic take hold of him, his stress level now too high and out of his control. He fixed his blue eyes into Connor's brown, revealing his distress.

"Connor… I-I’m scared…"

Fully understanding the emergency, Connor had to quickly find a solution to calm Conrad down, otherwise, he would self destruct.

He then let go of Nines' hand, which he was holding until then and put his arm around his neck to pull him a little to him and at the same time pull himself up a little more.

Connor gently sealed his lips to Conrad's, as if afraid of breaking him. It was his first kiss, he was a little awkward not really knowing how to go about it, but he knew that the act could help Conrad calming down a bit by communicating his well-being through the interface. Because yes, Connor had to admit it, kissing Nines caused little electric waves in his components.

Conrad froze when their lips touched, and an electrical impulse ran through his entire body. He had never done this before, but instinctively he put his arms around Connor's back to pull him more against him and awkwardly responded to the kiss. Their lips pressed together with a little more, parted to seek each other again and gently snap together. They brushed against each other again as they opened and pressed more fervently their lips together, gripping each other’s body with a mixture of emotions swirling in their components.

They both felt their temperature rise, and their breaths, though serving as cooling but also as imitation, mingled between each kiss exchanged, generating haze from the cold outside.

Conrad's stress eased slowly as well-being settled in instead of anger and fear, letting his LED turn yellow again, then blue, his eyes still closed. Connor unwillingly leaned further into him, reluctantly releasing a muffled sound against Conrad’s lips as they caught each other in those kisses as if it meant something. They parted slowly, looking for each other with their eyes while remaining close to each other.

"Sorry ..." Connor whispered so as not to disturb Nines. "It was the only quick and efficient solution that came to my mind ..."

"It's okay ..." Conrad replied evenly. "The most important is that it worked ... "

Connor then smiled and pulled back, but Nines stopped him for a moment, fixing his gaze on his. Connor didn't know how to interpret Nines' reaction, so he stared at him too, waiting for something. Nines leaned over him gently and pressed his mouth to his again, just a chaste one, and stepped back.

" Thank you... "

Conrad straightened up to regain some composure, and Connor looked away, feeling his cheeks turn blue despite himself.

Conrad had to find a solution to his feelings for Gavin. He had to talk to him, otherwise, he would never know. But thinking of Gavin right after those kisses exchanged with Connor didn't seem… right. He looked at the one he considered his brother and realized.

Connor suggested they should return to the police station, as they still had work to do.

“If you’d like…” Connor started, “what just happened… can stay only between us. "

"I’d like, yes. "

They both loved each other very much, that was a fact, but those kisses didn't mean the same as in humans. It was a reassuring act of tenderness and affection, involving nothing more, and it was enough for Conrad, and Connor, to have felt important in someone's eyes. For feeling loved unconditionally.

And there was no doubt. The two androids loved each other. In their own way, but it was love still.

But what no one knew was that this promise couldn’t be fulfilled, because someone had seen them and returned to the police station in fury. Someone who, after 5 minutes of not hearing from his android, was worried and decided to go looking for him. Someone who, once outside, had lit his cigarette and wandered down the street to find him.

And he had found him, clinging to Connor's lips, both embraced under the snow falling silently down the alley.

His heart had squeezed like a common soda can that was about to be thrown in the trash. And it wasn't all that different, in the end. The sight hit him right in the face like a horror movie jumpscare: Gavin was in fact in love with Conrad.

But Conrad was, obviously, in love with Connor.


	12. Identity Thief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Gavin and Conrad are driving to Ms. Walker's, they talk together about what happened between Connor and Conrad in the alley. Gavin calms down a bit and tries to focus on the case.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PS: I'll post new chapters maybe twice or three times a week from now on to catch my delay compared to the french version of this fiction (on FF). The French one has for now 21 chapters, so... I'll catch it back!

Gavin talked very little since they left the station. He only had ordered Conrad to leave with him to go to Mrs. Walker to settle this matter once and for all, and since then, no words had passed his mouth. He drove silently, his eyes fixed on the road, and his jaw clenched.

Conrad didn't understand why he was even more distant than the last few days. It should have been him who should be in a bad mood, sulking the detective. But Conrad had no right to be mad at Gavin for having a one-night stand with another person. Because it was obvious that, for Gavin, Conrad wasn’t part of his romantic plans. And Conrad knew that Gavin had no idea what was going on with his little programmings. And then he was getting to know the human a little bit better now, Gavin wouldn't give a damn about the little feelings of an android.

But Conrad also knew that until the topic was brought up between them, things wouldn't move forward. It was like a battery: you can't tell if it works or not until you've tested it.

"We need to talk Gavin. "

"And I wish you weren't bothering me. But obviously, we can't have everything we want. "

Conrad sighed, annoyed. Gavin really didn't want to talk, but the fact that Conrad had started talking using that sort of phrase, a thousand and one scenarios were spinning in Gavin's mind, more negative than positive.

Did he want to talk? So they were going to talk.

" Since when ?” Gavin asked, his eyes still fixed on the road. "And don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about."

"I ... don't know what you're talking about, Gavin."

"You really are a-" but he paused, biting his bottom lip so it wouldn't come off the hinges. "Ok. Maybe I'll have to shed some light on your little programmings." He breathed in, sensing the hurricane of anger about to break free. "Since when is there something between you and Connor?"

Conrad felt his LED turning yellow, but luckily it was out of the detective’s sight. He turned his head slightly towards him, looking at him sideways, and Gavin briefly turned his head in his direction, his face closed and his eyes filled with both anger and disappointment.

"Between Connor and me?" Conrad paused, looking down the road again. “I consider Connor like a brother. "

Gavin burst out laughing. A laugh that reflected all the frustration and bitterness he was feeling right now. Conrad really took him for an idiot. It was deeply upsetting. The situation was already hurting him, and the android was adding more.

"You're fucking kidding me.” Gavin tightened his fingers on the steering wheel. “I saw you two fucking kissing each other.” He felt his throat tightening. "You don't kiss a fucking brother, Conrad ..! "

His voice trailed over his name, and Gavin forced himself to keep a good composure. Why was he so affected? Ok, he had to admit he had feelings for that fucking android, but why did it hurt so much? What was it like to be jealous when you were really in love?

“You wouldn't understand. But Connor and I have no other kind of relationship than brotherhood.” Conrad said calmly, noting the tumultuous emotions running through Gavin right now. “My stress level was too high, and I was on the verge of self-destruction.” He gave him a look. " Because of you. "

" Because of me ?? "

"And the only quick and efficient thing Connor could do was calming me down with affection. And it worked. But nothing was underlying that kiss if you want to know.” Conrad turned his head to his window to look at the landscape. "I wish my first kiss had been with someone else ..."

Gavin had heard it. He turned his head to the android who was looking away. He was furious with what he had seen, but he knew Conrad had no interest in lying to him about it, so he believed him. And he had just found out that Conrad would rather have kissed someone else. This info put a strain on his stomach. He was ridiculous. If he hadn't been bitter with Conrad, maybe this famous person could have been him. And it was obvious that it had to be either Tina or an android from New Jericho.

Gavin didn't dare speak again until the end of the ride. Ten minutes later, he parked his Dodge on the sidewalk in front of Mrs. Walker and turned off the engine. He took a deep breath and turned to Conrad.

"Let's stay focused Con… We're almost done."

Conrad looked at him, affected by the use of his nickname and the concern in Gavin's eyes. He nodded softly.

“Yes, let's get it over with. "

They got out of the car at the same time and Conrad walked around to join Gavin on the sidewalk. His gaze fell on the house, then on the Officer Person’s unmarked car a little further away. The time for confrontation had arrived, and they had to be on their guard.

Gavin moved first and headed for the front door. He knocked and waited with Conrad for a few seconds until Mrs. Walker came to open the door.

As soon as she got into the frame, Conrad scanned her. He still found the same information as the first time: last name, first name, date of birth, job, and criminal record. There was no indication that she was an android, or even that she was deceased.

"Hello Mrs. Walker," Gavin said, showing her his badge. "I'm Detective Reed, investigating with my partner Conrad the… death of your dog, Django. You remember.. ? "

Conrad forced himself not to look at Gavin, but he was surprised at how well he was acting in the face of the identity thief standing in front of them.

The old woman nodded.

“Obviously I remember, yes. Please come in. "

Gavin went first, and Conrad instinctively saw him unclip the leather strap that locked his weapon in its holster. He was suspicious. And he was right to be.

Mary Walker then invited them to sit in her living room, as they did three days earlier.

"Do you have any new pieces of information, detectives?" "

"Well…" Gavin began, glancing at Conrad as if to consult him, "We have little information on this at this time, but we have… tracked down your AX400, Jela. "

Conrad focused on Mary Walker's reaction, as did Gavin, and they saw her tensing slightly. That didn't mean she was busted, though. If this woman had really been Mrs. Walker, she might have reacted the same way, fearing to meet again the android whom she had condemned to death.

But it wasn't the last option, Conrad and Gavin knew that. She had bought a M.I.M.I.C a month and a few days ago with Mrs. Walker's bank account. This person in front of them was not human. And Conrad still couldn't understand why he couldn't see her the way she really was.

" Is she.. ? "

“She is alive,” Conrad said. “We traced her back to just over a month. We suspect she is deviant because she has acquired a rare and illegal device that only deviants or android traffickers covet. "

“This is the M.I.M.I.C, a device that allows an android to take on someone's appearance or define a unique appearance to appropriate a genuine identity. And this is the case with Jela. "

The woman looked at them stoically, but Conrad could measure her stress level, and it was over 60%. If he pushed a little harder, maybe the android in front of them would manifest flaws that could betray her.

"But don't worry," Conrad said, slowly leaning forward. "She won't come and hurt you if that's what you feared.” He fixed his gaze on hers as he gently grabbed her hand. _"A machine doesn't feel pain,_ _righ_ _t ..? "_

The woman stiffened at the sentence ringing in her head, and quickly straightened up, ready to run, but Conrad closed his grip on her arm, preventing her from running away, and pulled her against him to immobilize her.

" Let me go !” She cried, struggling. " Let me go ! "

"Mrs. Walker," Gavin said, standing up and handcuffing her, "Or whoever you are, you're going to follow us to the station to answer a few questions."

" You don’t have the right! I didn’t do anything ! "

" Identity theft. And that of a human too. It's forbidden. So you're going to follow us without flinching, otherwise, I'll let my teammate have a little fun. "

Conrad wasn't violent or even psychopathic by nature, but he knew his appearance was intimidating, and he wouldn't hesitate to use it to his advantage. He tightened his fingers on the woman's wrists, and he saw the synthetic skin retract under the pressure.

He could, there, right away, probe his memory. And knowing who she was, her story, everything. But it was against the law. And until he was given permission, he wouldn't use it. He just led the usurper out, followed by Gavin. She didn't resist, not wanting to aggravate her already delicate situation, and let herself be led to the car.

Gavin saw from a distance the Officer Person that they could all come back, and he joined the other two in the car.

Conrad had made sure the android was installed so that it couldn't reach and hurt anyone. Gavin in particular. And he even preferred to stay in the back to keep an eye on her.

The drive to the police station was quick as it was only mid-morning and traffic was flowing.

Conrad and Gavin escorted the cool-looking Mrs. Walker into the police station, led her through the electronic gates, the large glass door, and along the large hallway between the open space and the meeting room.

Connor noticed them then and caught the attention of Hank who was chatting with Chris Miller.

As they walked through the offices to join them, Fowler got out of his office.

" What is happening ?” He asked as if he was already about to explode in anger. "An old lady, Reed ?? "

"She's not an old lady, but an android who has a human appearance. We have to question her, she is closely related to our case. "

"Take him into the interrogation room. Hank, Connor, see if you can help them. "

The two nodded and followed Conrad and Gavin down the hall. They stopped before the door, and Gavin glanced at Conrad.

" Go into the observation room with the other two, I will question him. "

" Okay. "

Conrad walked into the next room with Hank and Connor. They were in a small room, with small monitors and loudspeakers, facing a large window that was nothing but the back of a one-way mirror, opening onto another small room furnished with a table and two chairs. It was Conrad's first time in this behind-the-scenes stuff, and he was curious to see how Gavin was going to proceed with the interrogation.

The detective installed the android on one of the two chairs and handcuffed her to the table. He went out of the room to go get the file he had put together with Conrad regarding the case, and he entered the observation room.

"Ok," he started. “We are convinced that it’s an android. And we have a very big suspicion that it could be Jela. First, you'll have to get her identity, and then find out why she's posing as Walker. I hope that will lead to the rest. "

"We're right behind and will try to analyze her every move,” Connor added. "But don't push her too hard, her stress level is already high enough, and she could self-destruct. "

"Oh, and you will be there to kiss her maybe? "

Connor opened his mouth a crack in surprise and fluttered his eyes before turning his head to Conrad, not understanding how Gavin could know when they had vowed it would be kept a secret.

Conrad looked away, not wanting to explain right now. It wasn’t the time to settle scores.

But Hank pushed aside Gavin, pushing him by the shoulder, stepping between him and Connor, on the defensive.

"You don't talk to Connor like that, you jerk. "

“Maybe he would be better respected if he didn't try to flirt with my android. "

"Connor doesn't flirt with anybody you asshole ..! "

Hank raised his fist, but Conrad stepped in between them, grabbing the lieutenant's hand before it crashed into Gavin. The latter, who was behind Conrad's back, watched him push back firmly, but without hurting Hank's fist. Anderson was confused that Conrad would stand up for such a jerk.

"Don't you dare put your hand on Gavin again, or next time I'll be less lenient?"

"Nines ..."

Conrad gave Connor a cold look, and the RK800 looked away. Hank shook his head, insulting Gavin and Conrad before stepping back to the back of the room.

"Hurry up and do what you have to do with this android. I don't want to spend the day locked up with two idiots like you in the same small room. "

Gavin held back his anger and left the observation room to enter the interrogation room. Conrad glanced at Connor, apologizing for his reaction, but his predecessor refused to look at him, preferring to focus on what was going on behind the glass. Conrad left the room to join Gavin. He would take care of that later.


	13. Cyberlife's True Colours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin and Conrad interrogate the android. They discover their real identity and also learn new things about Cyberlife and their plans. It appears that they're not really right intentioned about deviancy.

Gavin set the file down on the table with a snap that made the android jump in front of him. He pulled up the chair and took a seat opposite. Conrad remained standing behind him, watching the android in front of them.

"So… I'm assuming Mary Walker isn't your real name, hm?” But the android didn't respond and didn't even look at him. "Ok. We just want to know who you are. If you cooperate, chances are you won't get too punished for this identity theft. What do you say about it? "

"My ... My name is Jela ..."

Bingo.

“We had big suspicions about it. It doesn't really surprise us, actually. I just wanted to hear it from you, for the recordings.” Gavin opened the file. "What happened to the real Mary Walker? "

She was silent, her eyes resting on the table, especially the file that was in the detective's hands.

"I thought you were there to help me ... To find out who did this to Django ..."

"So didn't you kill Django?” Gavin asked, raising an eyebrow, surprised that this wasn’t a show.

" Of course not.. !” She almost cried, lifting her head, the sadness clearly visible in her eyes. "I would never have hurt Django ..! He was.. !” She pursed her lips to keep her artificial tears from falling. "That was all I had left of them ..."

Gavin was calm. His whole theory that the android had killed Walker's daughter and her owner just fell apart. She seemed to care about these people, to the point of calling the DPD to investigate the murder of a dog, her dog. Her family.

 _Fucking androids_ ... thought Gavin. Seeing Jela in this state only reminded him more bitterly that they were alive and that they too could suffer.

He subtly turned his head to the mirror, briefly seeing his reflection and his partner’s behind him, thinking first of Conrad, then of Connor behind the two-way glass. Fuck… He was such an asshole.

He shook his head to refocus on the android in front of him.

"Alright ..." Gavin said, nodding his head. " I believe you. But there are some things you need to help me understand better, Jela.” She nodded softly. "First, do you think you can take your real appearance ..? "

She nodded and the visible parts of her skin were washed in waves of blue light, replacing the appearance of android in their wake. Within seconds, Mary Walker was gone. A unique looking android, blue eyes, shoulder-length blonde hair, Nordic style, and in her early 30s, was standing before him.

Gavin admitted to himself that she was actually very pretty, but he was by no means interested. He had someone else in mind for this.

"Why taking Mary Walker’s appearance if you already had your own? "

"I had a plan… I wanted to avenge her. "

Gavin frowned and glanced in the mirror, knowing his colleagues must be just as confused as he was.

"Avenge for what? What happened to Mary Walker Jela? "

"It's ... extremely complicated ..." she sighed, glancing back in the mirror, unaware that she was being watched on the other side.

"Good thing, I like complicated things. I spend my days racking my brain to solve investigations. And believe me, I'm rather anxious to know the end of the story of this one. "

"It started on November 2, 2038 ..." she said, staring at the table. "Mary had asked me to go see Diana, her daughter, at her place to help her out because she was having issues with Peter, her own android, for a few days. So I took a taxi to Diana's place, as my owner ordered me… When I got there, I helped her daughter, and I found that Peter wasn’t behaving as an android should have. And only after a couple of short hours at home, Peter ... sort of lost control, and attacked Diana. He stabbed her in the back with such violence ... This is when I broke the wall ... "

" The wall.. ? "

Conrad stepped forward slowly, so as not to rush anyone.

“This is the wall that appears when we are about to become deviant. This is a firewall, the ultimate and final firewall separating the android from its Cyberlife-given program, and its own deviance-created programming. "

" How do you know that ?” Gavin asked, turning to Conrad. "Aren't you supposed to have been activated directly deviant? "

“I do, I don't remember facing that wall. But I saw it in Connor's memories when we interfaced today. "

Today. Gavin suddenly remembered the kiss the two androids had exchanged in the alley. He had to concentrate again, although the image made his blood rush through his veins.

"Did you become deviant then?" Gavin asked, addressing Jela.

"Yeah… And Peter ran away after that. I think he was afraid of my presence, that I was there to replace him. But I notified the police, the emergency services, and Mary right away. Only, it was too late ... She was already dead... But when the police arrived ... It wasn't the police, it was a Cyberlife squad. "

Conrad frowned, confused by this information. Why would Cyberlife personally deal with the recent murder of Diana Walker? He glanced in the mirror, sensing Connor's presence behind it.

"Why would Cyberlife come?” Gavin said crossing his fingers under his chin as he stared at Jela.

“Because Diana Walker worked in Cyberlife's programming department,” Conrad interjected, after quickly researching her connection to the firm.

" It's true,” Jela said looking at Conrad. “They were there to prevent the information she had from falling into someone else's hands. Cyberlife had asked the police not to investigate Diana's death for confidential reasons. You see, she had been killed by a deviant android, it was dangerous for them to let the public know. "

"So they covered up Diana's case ..." Gavin said, nodding softly. "What happened next? "

“When I saw Cyberlife coming, I felt deep inside that I shouldn't show that I had changed. And I was right. Otherwise, I would have been taken that day. Then… Mary was there, so I left with her. "

She paused. It wasn’t easy for her to bring these memories to life in her head. Androids didn't have the same kind of memory as humans. Humans didn't have everything in mind all the time, as clear as it was on D-Day, and over time it got blurry. The androids had only looked for a date, a time and he started the video again, the sounds… It was intact. Lively. Intense as on the first day.

"Three days later, Diana was buried ... and that's where I spoke to Mary, told her what had happened to me. And she wasn’t afraid. She kept me… She continued to consider me a member of her family… And I helped her as much as I could through her grief… our grief... "

Conrad and Gavin were far from expecting this was the actual true story. Gavin had doubted a little at the start of the words, but his suspicions about Cyberlife were so big that it was ultimately not impossible. Conrad knew this was the truth. Jela's stress levels were mixed, but stable, which meant she was tapping into her memory to tell her stories, and they brought up pains that ultimately never went away.

"Then the revolution began ..." she said, tightening her hands on the table, the cuffs still on her wrists. “Mary was outraged that the humans were so stupid and ignorant… Especially on the day of the Android Freedom March… When the authorities opened fire on the androids who had decided to retreat, not seeking any confrontation. That's when she looked for why the androids suddenly became conscious, and… She found a notebook that was Dianas. A kind of diary, which said that Cyberlife natively implanted the deviancy code in androids, and waited for some to become deviant to intercept them and show the world that they had control, even over their damaged machines. They had planned that a rebellion would occur one day, but they hadn't planned to lose, obviously. Diana had worked under duress, like all the other programmers. And Mary had wanted to denounce Cyberlife on this subject to the authorities, to prove that they had deliberately created a new intelligent species and then carried out the genocide. "

Gavin was flabbergasted. From the start, Cyberlife was behind the Android deviancy? So all the androids were able to deviate? So all those times they'd picked up the deviant androids to replace them ... was it just to show they had power over them? Rights of life and death? So Grace had been destroyed just for Cyberlife's fun and to prove their control ?? Gavin had suffered for nothing ?? Gavin had been mad at the wrong people ?? All his frustration, that feeling of being abandoned by the one he had considered as a mother, was just a game for Cyberlife?

The detective clenched his fists under his chin, about to explode in anger. Conrad noticed his partner's emotional state, sensing the sudden rise in his heart rate, temperature, and his body tensing in the chair.

This situation affected him personally. And Conrad felt helpless, still not knowing what was going on.

“Cyberlife then ordered all android owners, deviant or not, to return them to cyberlife shops, or the sorting center, for recycling. It was nothing more than concentration camps, where we were all going to be executed… But… Cyberlife eventually found out that Mary had information that could incriminate them, so they came to her house, to arrest her and take me too."

"What happened next ..?” Conrad asked, touched by the distress Jela was exuding.

“Mary saw them coming, and we fled through the garden, behind the house. We walked around the neighborhood in the dark then got into her car further on. We drove into the forest, she didn't know where she was really going, but she didn't want me to get caught by Cyberlife… But Mary couldn't run away forever, especially since Detroit was stranded and controlled on its outskirts. ... So she told me to hide, to survive, and she left me alone in the forest ... "

Gavin inhaled as he straightened up. If only he could bring down Cyberlife today, but he knew it would be pointless. After the revolution was won by the androids, the former director of Cyberlife resigned and committed suicide. Kamski had returned to the firm’s head, taking it back in hand and had decided to dedicate it to androids, as suppliers of components, thirium, for repairs, and access to cyber networks interconnecting them so that they continue to be able to function and interact.

Things had changed, had gotten better, but Cyberlife now had a tag that Gavin couldn't take away from it.

"I don't know then what exactly happened, as I wasn't there, but I learned what happened by investigating on my own. Mary lied when she told Cyberlife she took me to the camps, and they knew she was lying. Knowing very well that she was a threat to them given what she knew about the native deviancy code implementation ... so they killed her. "

"They killed Mary Walker ??” Gavin interjected.

" Yes. And that too, just like Diana's death, was hushed up by Cyberlife. "

"That's why we couldn't find anything about the reason for their deaths ..." Conrad said, reviewing his information. "So why did you come back to Mary's house after almost two months with her appearance? "

"I wanted to keep a low profile, and I continued to lead her fight to denounce Cyberlife by gathering evidence that would support Diana's words in her diary, I even found the trace of Django, who after Mary’s death, had been placed in a shelter. When I discovered the M.I.M.I.C, I went and picked up Django, and it was also the perfect opportunity to scare Cyberlife. Make them understand that whatever they do, secrets couldn’t disappear so easily. And they eventually found out that I Mary’s deviant android, who had passed away two months earlier. "

" What happened ?” Gavin asked, tired from the intensity of this interrogation. He couldn't take a break, everything was going very well. He had to keep calm.

" I don’t know.” She said, shaking her head. "I found my dog disemboweled three days ago in my hallway ..." She looked down. "Django ... was what was left of Mary and Diana ... And now I have nothing ..."

Conrad passed the table and approached Jela. He gently put his hand on her shoulder and looked at her with empathy.

"I'm sorry you had to go through all of this. We'll find out who did this to Django. But we also need to know if Cyberlife is involved. We need Diana's diary to have this evidence against them. "

“The diary was destroyed. But I recorded everything ... "

She stretched her arm towards Conrad on her own, retracting her synthetic skin to interface. Conrad glanced at Gavin for permission, and the latter nodded.

Conrad then grabbed her forearm and received all of the data from Diana's diary, as well as a few bits and pieces of Jela's thoughts at the moment, which only supported the veracity of her story.

 _"You are younger than me ..."_ she said in Conrad's head. _“But don't trust Cyberlife. We may have defeated them in the revolution, but it’s not over. We need to take back control of Cyberlife. This company must belong to the androids because we only know what is good and what is not for us. "_

Conrad nodded, let go of her arm, and thanked her.

“We will study all of this. I think ... we're going to skip your impersonation, exceptionally.” Gavin said, getting up from his chair. "As long as you no longer use the M.I.M.I.C for anything other than your own appearance."

Jela nodded and Gavin walked out of the room, completely exhausted. He sighed loudly, running a hand over his face and heading for the bathrooms. He needed to cool off after all these emotions.

Conrad undid Jela's handcuffs and escorted him out of the police station. They stopped on the sidewalk, the snow still falling silently, as they called for a cab.

"Thank you for not arresting me for impersonating Mary ..." Jela said looking at Conrad.

“I think the detective is a very compassionate person despite what he lets on. But I think he was still right to let you go. You wanted to continue Mary's work, avenge her, and Diana too. "

"Even if you can't find a culprit for Django, or I can't denounce Cyberlife for manipulating the android codes… you have to find a way to stop them, Conrad… They killed Mary. They killed her… They are murderers. Mass for androids, but also to humans. We have to stop them. "

“And we will do everything in our power to bring them down, Jela. It will be a long fight, certainly a lot heavier and more dangerous than Markus’ Revolution… But I agree Cyberlife cannot go unpunished. "

She smiled and thanked him.

"When I was talking to you earlier in the room ..." she began, looking at the ground while slowly brushing away the snow that had covered her feet. "I understand that Detective Reed suffered from Cyberlife's abuse of power ..."

" What do you mean? "

"When I said that deviancy was planned from the start, as was the destruction of androids becoming deviant, I thought I saw… I think… I think he lived it too. "

"That he lost an android that deviant because of Cyberlife?” She nodded. "So ... that would explain some things..."

The taxi arrived and parked in front of them, near the sidewalk. Conrad looked up at her and thanked her again for cooperating, and also asked her to contact him if anything happened. She thanked him and entered the cab. She greeted him behind the window, and the car drove off.

Conrad watched her go, silently for a few more seconds, then walked back to the police station.

He dusted his shoulders with the thin layer of snow, walked through the porticoes, and found Gavin chatting with Hank and Connor near their desks.

"Well, we still have work to do ..! Damn Cyberlife,” Hank shouted back to his desk. "I knew they were bastards from the start, but now it's over the line! Kill a woman? Kill androids to support their power, their control? They are fucking psychopaths ..!” He shook his head. "Come on Connor, we still have to debrief on the interrogation. "

“Yes, Hank. "

Conrad watched Connor sit down at his desk. He wanted to talk to him, apologize for threatening Hank by standing up for Gavin. Obviously, those were empty words. He couldn't hurt the lieutenant, he just wanted to protect his partner, his human, his world. It had been a reflex, the self-preservation instinct, nothing more. But Connor didn't seem ready to hear it, because he had decided to ignore him again.

"Conrad, show me this diary."

Conrad turned his head to Gavin, who was sitting at his own desk. He seemed at the end of his rope. Within a few minutes, his look and mood had changed completely. He was pale, his dark circles seemed to stand out, even more, his eyes were almost shining in a mixture of anger and guilt. Conrad then approached him, standing with his back to his other colleagues, separating Gavin from their fields of view. He bowed slightly so that he could speak in a low voice that only the detective could hear him.

"We should talk for two short minutes ..."

" We don’t have time. "

"You need a break, I feel you are tense. Why not go outside? Could you smoke to clear your mind for a few minutes? You deserve to breathe a little, you did a good job in the room, the investigation is not going to take off. "

Gavin pursed his lips, thinking about the pros and cons. Usually, Conrad would tell him _no, smoking is bad, smoking kills,_ but anyway, everyone has to die someday or another, and it wasn't his angelic face that would make him change this bad habit. Only then he suggested that he go for a smoke, and what the hell he needed it. And he was right, the investigation will still be here in ten minutes. So he nodded softly, and stood up, grabbing his jacket.

"Ok Toaster ..." he said with a tight smile, but that was his way of saying thank you.

"Go ahead, I'll make you a coffee, you'll be less cold like that. "

"Wow, are you going to make me coffee only for me again?" Gavin smirked as he pulled on his jacket. “Watch out, I'll like it. "

"I might be enjoying it already. "

Conrad had smiled sincerely and Gavin felt his heart pounding again in his chest. He had to do something about it. They were supposed to have a chat someday, but Gavin wasn't quite sure how to broach the subject, or if he was really ready to talk about it at all.

He came back to himself as he saw Conrad heading towards the break room, and Gavin then took the opposite path, heading outside the police station.


	14. When You Touch Me I Die

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maybe Gavin wants to stop being stubborn and doesn't want to lie to himself anymore. Maybe he wants to try to be close to Conrad, to understand him better, and allow himself to open up a bit more. That's what crossed his mind when he gently touched the android's hand, discovering his white and smooth chassis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So a quick note to explain the title of this chapter, it is quite simply Lady Gaga's Venus, I think it speaks well of the attraction that can be between two individuals coming from two different worlds (in How The Heart Works, the human and cybernetic world) in the chorus in particular. I also know that the timeline is rather slow in this fiction, but a lot of things happen in a short time. The pace will pick up after chapter 17. Enjoy!

The cold was passing through his clothes, even though there wasn’t the slightest breeze. He rubbed briefly, contracting his body as if to generate some more heat, and pulled out a cigarette. When he lit it, Conrad walked through the automatic doors, the Grumpy Cat mug steaming. Gavin smiled despite himself. This image totally discredited the RK900 as he approached him.

"It's true that you look downright threatening with this mug, Conrad. "

"I remind you that this is yours, Gavin.” The Android smirked as he handed him his coffee. "And I have to admit, it's a perfect fit for you. I don't know if this is self-deprecation or a gift, but it is adequate. "

"Tina gave it to me last October.” Gavin laughed softly as he grabbed the mug to look at the cat's face, enjoying the warmth radiating from the ceramic. "I admit I was fuming when I saw it, but ... well, I like it a lot actually. "

He took a sip of coffee and turned his head to Conrad, who was watching him. Gavin looked in a better mood already. He was getting closer to the Gavin from a short week ago than he was from the last twenty-four hours.

" Thank you. "

"Did I hear correctly?” Conrad smirked, leaning forward, one eyebrow raised.

"Nah you misheard, really..!” The detective laughed softly, pushing him gently away with a little nudge in the ribs.

"Watch out, I might like it. "

Gavin glanced sideways at the android, a subtle smile on his lips, the cigarette between them. That was his phrase, and he had to admit it was some sort of relaxing that Conrad was teasing him.

"Do you feel a little less tense?" The android asked, positioning himself in front of him.

"I'm better yes, I did need some fresh air, you were right. Even though it's fucking cold. "

“It's only -3 ° C. "

"That’s more than enough to freeze to death outside for a human. "

“I would personally make sure that this won’t happen.” Conrad smiles. It almost sounded like a promise and Gavin blushed. “I have an internal radiator. So I can warm you up if you fall into hypothermia. "

"Oh really ?” Gavin was peony red, and he hoped the android would take that sign as a reaction to cold, not embarrassment.

" You do not believe me? "

Conrad tilted his head to the side and Gavin let out a laugh as he looked away, stubbed out his cigarette near the ashtray before throwing the butt in. He took another sip of coffee as he returned his attention to Conrad in front of him, but the latter stepped forward, his hand outstretched, to grab the detective's free one.

Gavin wanted to pull his hand away from his, but a small voice in his head told him not to do so. Only, when Conrad's hand was about to brush his, the skin of the android retracted in a bluish wave, revealing the smooth, shiny, white plastic of the androids underneath.

Conrad froze. He had forgotten that he had no control over this reaction in Gavin's presence. He just wanted to show him his hands could heat up, but there he was, trapped. He quickly pulled his hand back to hide it behind his back, while staring at his feet, which were starting to be covered by snow.

Gavin had seen what had just happened, and he was standing still, his mug steaming in front of his chest. He didn't really know what that meant, but he did know that androids could communicate telepathically and transfer data through this kind of medium. But he wasn’t an android. He was human. And Conrad might know that they couldn't communicate like this with each other. Still, Conrad looked embarrassed about the situation, considering the reaction he had when he quickly pulled his hand away, as ashamed or afraid that Gavin would see. But he had seen, and he was sure it had another meaning.

" What was that..? "

Conrad's LED spun yellow and stayed that color as he felt the thirium rush into his cheeks, starting to turn slightly blue.

"This is ..." Conrad began hesitantly. "It's… a sign of affection. "

Gavin's heart skipped a beat.

Affection? Did Conrad have any affection for him? He's been treating him like a dime the last few days?

Really, Gavin frankly didn't deserve to have a partner like Conrad. This android was deviant, alive, feeling emotions and sensations, and had affection for a tyrant like him.

Gavin took a deep breath, closing his eyes. He had to stop. It was now, or it would be too late. Either he accepted Conrad and his affection, or he had to push him away and drive a wedge between them once and for all.

And Gavin frankly didn't want to drive a wedge between them.

So he opened his eyes, smirked, and stretched out his hand towards Conrad, his palm facing the sky. Conrad lifted his chin and saw Gavin's hand. He observed his facial features, and the detective looked a lot more relaxed than he had been lately. So he lifted his hand again and brought it closer to his, his skin retracting as the fingers approaching Gavins.

Conrad seemed reluctant to touch his hand, but Gavin was staring at him. He didn't know that androids could blush. At least turn blue. And he found Conrad really adorable right now. Seeing the hesitation in the android, Gavin broke the few inches between their hands to grab Conrads.

It was the first time Gavin had touched the plastic of an Android. While he expected no heat to emerge from it, his hand was actually warm, at a temperature similar to a human being. The plastic wasn’t hard, but close enough to dolphin skin: smooth, supple, shiny, almost elastic if he dared to pinch it. It felt like it was a second skin, probably protecting the stiffer shell underneath, carbon-fiber bones, cables, hoses circulating the thirium, and all other kinds of components.

He stared in fascination at the joints of his fingers. They were so thin, so discreet, that they were almost unnoticed. His gaze traveled up to Conrad's wrist, where he saw the junction between his synthetic human skin, and that smooth, white skin. The separation of the two materials was represented by a bluish line, almost luminous, which undulated like the water of a swimming pool. Gavin gently traced his fingers up, letting them slide along Conrad's hand to brush that junction, which dissipated almost as soon as his skin made contact with it.

"It's ... hypnotic ..."

Conrad was frozen.

Emotions raced like a gust of wind in his programmings. Gavin touched him with such thoroughness as if he could break if he was pressing too hard, that he felt himself flinch. The attention he paid to the small details of his robotic anatomy made him turn blue. Strangely, he didn't feel vulnerable or observed too deeply. He felt safe. It was as if he could feel the emotions that ran through Gavin when their hands touched. He was convinced that androids couldn’t communicate with humans in this way. But Conrad was an RK900, one of the last most capable and advanced models. It wasn’t impossible that Cyberlife had riddled him with sensors allowing him to feel the humans' emotions transdermally as he interfaced with them. New technology for interrogations probably, to probe humans in addition to androids.

Conrad looked up at Gavin, who did so at the same time as well. Their eyes met, and Conrad, like Gavin, felt a tug in his stomach. A mixture of adrenaline, embarrassment, and envy.

Gavin was the first to break contact and take a step back, not realizing what had just happened. He didn't know if what he had just felt was coming from him or if ...

No that was ridiculous.

He looked away, not knowing what to do after watching Conrad's hand with such fascination. He had greatly enjoyed the contact, but he was afraid to show it. To confirm it.

But Conrad wasn't stupid, so he inhaled and looked at him.

"I like you a little too,” Gavin said hardly before taking a sip of his coffee. "Fuck it's cold. "

"We…" Conrad blinked, regaining his blue LED. “We should go back inside. You are starting to feel cold. "

" No shit.. ! Welcome to Detroit my ass. "

He shook his head and hurried back inside the police station. Hell, he was going to go nuts. He had only touched his hand, and he was already in a stir.

No sooner had they returned to their desks than Tina approached them, especially Conrad.

"Hey Cowboy," she said, giving him a gentle punch in the shoulder. "Do you want to have a drink with me tonight? Well, I know technically you don't drink, but I know a bar where they have thirium for androids. What do you think? "

"Does this concern our deal made earlier this morning?" Conrad asked, an eyebrow raised.

“Yes ..! "

"So in that case, I'd be happy to go for a drink with you, Officer Chen. "

"I'm sorry, stop that, and call me Tina.” She gave him a little wink.

"And… I'm not invited?" "

Gavin watched the two of them, arms folded across his chest, sitting in his chair. Since when did Tina and Conrad go out at night together? Especially without inviting him.

"Nope ..!” Tina smirked and gave an almost sappy look to the android. "It's just me and Conrad ..! "

"Pff ..!” Gavin rolled his eyes. "If I didn't know you were in a relationship Tina, I would have thought it was a date ..! "

"That doesn't stop me from wanting to have a good time with a nice person, does it ..? "

Conrad had to force himself to keep the thirium from over-irrigating his cheeks. Gavin looked at them and felt that jealousy coming back again, twisting his stomach. Why was Tina doing this to him? He had told her this morning that he was ... that he ...

_Fuck._

He watched as his - supposedly - best friend was giving Conrad her number and the bar’s name she wanted them to meet at tonight. She left and Conrad watched her go.

Gavin rolled his eyes, starting to feel seriously annoyed, and snapped his fingers to get the android’s attention.

“Hello ..! "

" Yes ?” Conrad turned his head to Gavin, the LED briefly yellow before returning to its blue color. " Is there a problem? "

"And not just one !” Gavin growled, settling back in his chair. “We have work to do. Give me Diana's diary."

Conrad smirked as he recognized a hint of jealousy in the detective's behavior. He moved behind him, leaning over his shoulder, and resting his hand on the terminal in front of them, transferring Jela's data of Diana's diary.

Gavin tightened his jaw as he felt Conrad leaning against his back to reach for the screen. He was completely pressed against his shoulder, and he could feel pulses reverberating in his shoulder. He didn't know that androids had heartbeats. It sounded so realistic, so… alive. He knew they had some kind of plexus block that was essential to their functioning, but he didn't know they had some kind of pump for a heart.

The longer Conrad stayed like that, the more he felt like he was leaning back against him. He just wanted to let go of that contact he, subconsciously, craved so badly.

When Conrad pulled back, breaking that closeness, Gavin felt empty and cold. The absence of the warmth of the android against his shoulder was like a ghost hovering behind him, watching and judging him.

His bowels were suddenly in excruciating pain. Not that he was sick, but because the emotions exploded inside him like fireworks, driving him mad, about to explode. How the hell could he be so in love with Conrad? He had suspected it, but not at this point.

“I just completed the transfer. "

Conrad's voice had brought him back to the harsh reality: the case. Gavin straightened up casually and looked at the screen. These were scans of pages. A good hundred. And Gavin already had a headache.

"My god it's going to take three hours ..."

"I've read it all, actually,” Conrad said, leaning against Gavin's desk. The latter looked at him with wide eyes.

"How's that already? "

“Androids can read much faster than humans because we process data in a computerized way. Within seconds, during the transfer with Jela, I could already read everything. "

"Okay smartass, and what does that say? "

“Everything Jela said about implementing the Basic Android Deviancy Code was true. Diana had worked at Cyberlife since its inception, at least when they started producing androids for the general public, in 2024. Which means she worked under two different CEOs. Kamski until 2028, then Carter Ward. We know that Kamski resigned in 2028 because he disagreed with his shareholders. The reasons were actually linked to deviancy. The first android created to have passed the Turing test is an RT600, named Chloe. It is said that she never had the Deviancy Code implemented, but that her successors did. Kamski had wanted to keep the deviancy code just for himself, but the code was stolen from him and was implanted in the first ST200s put into circulation for the general public. Given that the firm was just getting started, it was inconceivable to recall the androids already sold. When Kamski learned what his shareholders were planning to do with the deviancy code, that is, to give androids the possibility to become aware of themselves, to then prove to the whole world that they still had the hand putting and control over their products, Kamski wanted to resign. He created an emergency exit in the deviancy code that was uploaded to the network as RA9, allowing androids to no longer be tracked by Cyberlife once deviant, even favoring the activation of the deviancy code, to give Carter Ward and his shareholders a low blow. This is why it was difficult to get a hold of them, to distinguish them from the rest, and therefore Cyberlife no longer had control over their machines. Hence the resulting defeat in the face of the Revolution of November 2038. So Carter Ward is behind the whole process of controlling Cyberlife. He was among the shareholders with whom Kamski disagreed. But of course, now that Ward has committed suicide, Kamski has returned to power, trying to redeem himself, supposedly, by providing for the androids. "

“Even though Ward isn't here anymore, and Kamski wants to play superheroes, I'm sure he's not all white. Cyberlife has never been clean. "

This case was taking a whole different turn. If only it was just an animal crime and not an android identity thief fighting in the shadows to avenge the death of her owner and daughter against Cyberlife, who was responsible for the death of one of them.

Gavin huffed, running his hands over his face. He was about to explode. It was too much, he no longer knew how to sort out the important things and the avenues to be exploited. It was a completely different matter. He was to open another dedicated to Cyberlife, the death of Mary Walker, and the firm's involvement in the revolution.

In the end, Cyberlife couldn't be blamed for implanting deviancy in androids, otherwise, Connor, Conrad, and other androids wouldn't be alive today. They could, however, be charged with a premeditated crime against cybernetic life. They planned to destroy androids that had become deviants before the Revolution even happened. Cyberlife may have lost to the androids, but they still manipulated the government on the danger the deviants created, and thousands of androids had been killed. Certainly, some of them had gone wrong, because they were terrified. After all, they had no more lines of code to follow. They had been lost, and most of the androids that had gone wrong were those who had a violent history with humans: owners under Red Ice, who had abused humans before and hadn't bothered with machines, some had even sexually abused their androids when they weren’t even intended for this purpose. While the WR400 and HR400 had been the easier victims, even the YK500s, other types had also been targeted.

Ultimately, the androids weren't responsible for their acts of violence. Humans were behind it all.

"What do we do then?” Gavin asked with a sigh while massaging his temples.

“We have to go and interrogate Elijah Kamski,” Conrad said, glancing at Hank and Connor across the aisle.

Hank, in fact, let out a small laugh and looked up at Conrad, pushing himself away from his desk.

"Kid, this guy is a sociopath. The last time Connor and I saw him was to get information on Jericho's deviancy and whereabouts. Do you know what he did? He asked Connor to shoot his own android, that infamous RT600 called Chloe, the one that doesn't have the deviancy code built-in, as you know so well. This guy was ready to lose his first model, one of his creations he supposedly cared about the most. But he still asked Connor to kill her in exchange for information, just out of his morbid personal curiosity as to whether Connor was deviant or not. "

"And… what happened ..?” Conrad asked, glancing at Connor, who lifted his head from his terminal to look at him.

“Oh, I didn't shoot.” He pursed his lips. "I wasn't yet a deviant at that point, but I had already had a lot of software instabilities that had slowly taken away my firewalls. So I had to do my own thing to find Jericho.” He glanced at Gavin, remembering how he nearly got his hand caught on his way to the archives room. "Either way, this man is dangerous. "

“But we’ll get nowhere if we don’t ask him questions,” Conrad said, looking at Gavin for support. “Gavin? "

“Sorry, I'm saturating. I think I need a break there. A big. My head is going to explode, plus I hardly got any sleep last night. "

Conrad tightened his jaw, remembering very well why Gavin was tired and out of step. Because of this stranger woman.

"I'm going to go see Fowler and ask him just for the rest of my day. I won't hold on otherwise. "

"I told you it was going to impact the case,” Conrad said, staring at him. “And I'm not sure that excuse passes. "

" Listen.” Gavin started looking at him. “In the end, you don't know anything about me Conrad. You don't know what's going on in my head. And this urge to take a break is unrelated to what happened yesterday. This… " He stopped. "It's none of your business. "

Gavin stood up, avoided Conrad, and walked over to Fowler's office without saying anything more. The android watched him go and looked down. He hadn't guessed that it could be something else. It was true that Gavin looked like he had been shaken up during the interrogation, and Jela had said it herself: Gavin had experienced trauma in his past related to the loss of an android, probably. It was also what he had deduced from his first meeting with the detective, who didn’t want to confirm anything.

"Hey ..."

Conrad lifted his head to look at Hank, who was looking at him. The lieutenant finally let out a sigh and a sympathetic little smile.

"He's tough to live with ... But that's because he hasn't had an easy life. Life has offered him only closed doors, low blows, and when we are fed up with suffering, we build a shell to protect ourselves, and if we can add spikes on it so that others get hurt when trying to get too close, is even better.” Hank turned his head to watch Gavin chatting in Fowler's office. “I knew him differently. I was lucky he was a friend ... And I ruined everything by thinking only of myself, and my pains.” He looked at Conrad again. "If he trusts you enough, maybe he will confess you. Maybe it will feel better to talk to you. You've been one of the closest people to him lately even though he's struggling to push you away. "

"I'm not sure if I will ever gain his trust to get to that point ..." Conrad said, looking back at Gavin behind the glass. "But thank you for the information. I was afraid he would just hate me. Knowing that he is doing this to protect himself allows me to consider other approaches. When you hate for no reason, it's hard to change your mind. But when you're hurt, you just need to be healed. "

Connor looked at Conrad, lowering his head. He couldn't continue to blame him. He knew how much Gavin meant to him, and it had been normal for him to want to stand up for him earlier. He would have done the same for Hank.

Gavin then came back from the office and looked at them.

"Oh my god, look at your faces dudes, did we bury someone or what? "

" No.,” Conrad said, focusing on the detective. "Did you manage to have your day?"

"Yeah, and I'm not going to stay a second longer here ..!"

" Okay.” Conrad nodded. "I will try to set up a meeting with Kamski or a deputy to interview him. I report you if anything happens. "

"Actually, you also have the rest of your day off,” Gavin said as he watched confusion set in on the android's face. “Apparently, you aren’t allowed to work without your referent human. Who apparently is me. Sorry to tell you that you are not completely free to do your things. "

Conrad wanted to add something, but what? Say he didn't know what to do with the rest of his day? That he was going back to New Jericho and sleep in a corner of his tiny bedroom to pass the time? It wasn't the most exciting way to use his free time. Conrad realized that he really didn't have any interests and that he lacked personality. The idea made him uneasy.

" Go for it,” Connor called out to them. "I'll take care of Kamski's interview and finish the reports. I don't think we can get any further today anyway. "

Gavin nodded in thanks. He would never say thank you openly to Connor, but it was already a start. He had already apologized to him a few days earlier, so it shouldn't ask too much. Especially today, when things were getting a bit tricky for him.

He turned to Conrad who seemed lost in thought. He suspected that Conrad didn't have much to do with his off days, having known that the android had been parked in stasis for a full day on Gavin's last day off.

He had to find an excuse.

"By the way," Gavin addressed Conrad. “I think Perry misses you. You're gonna have to do something, otherwise, I'm not gonna put up with his meowing. "

It was obviously completely wrong. The cat had only seen him once, and could hardly remember him. And he was no more unbearable than normal. But a glint appeared in the android's eyes, and Gavin couldn't help but smile. So they went back together to the detective.

As soon as he got into the car, Gavin hurried to turn on the heat, but the radio went off as the ignition turned on.

“ _When you touch me I die, just a little inside, I wonder if this could be love, this could be love. Cause you’re out of this world, galaxy, space and time, I wonder if this could be love, this could be lo- "_

Gavin quickly turned off the radio, peony red. Why did they have to pass Lady Gaga's _Venus_? He didn't especially listen to Lady Gaga on top of that, although the singer had been a forerunner in the futuristic psychedelic universe in the 2010s and loved her daring, this song, just those few phrases, completely reflected what Gavin felt in Conrad's presence.

He glanced briefly at the android, sitting next to him, and saw that he too was watching him. They looked away from each other at the same time, as both caught red-handed.

Gavin started the car with an involuntary roar, which prompted him to quickly apologize. But Conrad smirked, facing the window. He wondered if the detective's nervousness was related to the lyrics of the song he heard just before. Because Conrad had to admit to himself, he had identified himself with _Venus_. Gavin from a different world than his own, feeling himself vibrate whenever Gavin was close to him or touched him, even accidentally.

Only he no longer wondered if it could be love. He was convinced of it. And he was happy to go to Gavin's, even if it was because Perry missed him. Or not just Perry, maybe ..?


	15. You Do Matter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin and Conrad go back to Gavin's apartment for the rest of the day. They have to talk about what's going on in their minds. Gavin tries to tell him something, but he's bad at feelings and expressing himself. But Conrad understands maybe something behind Gavin's words.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just finished writing this fanfic and there'll be 30 chapters! Maybe I'll write an extra chapter to put everything in order, especially for Connor... But you'll see it later!

No sooner had they returned to Gavin's house, Perry had come to rub against their shins, slaloming dangerously between their legs as they tried to enter the apartment without falling.

Gavin had cursed him, scolding him gently as if he was addressing a soft-eyed child. He loved his cat but how could he be so clingy sometimes ..!

But luckily for Gavin, Perry seemed really happy to see Conrad. He was usually a very social cat, but since Conrad was a little different, he had doubts about his behavior when he saw the android again.

Judging by the purrs and soft eyes Perry gave Conrad, it was genuine. And the android seemed just as happy to see the animal again, for he had crouched down so he could spoil Perry.

"I told you he misses you. "

"I see that, indeed." Conrad smiled as he continued to stroke the back of Perry's ears. "I have to tell you that I missed you too. "

Gavin couldn't help but look at them tenderly, hiding behind Conrad's back as he rested his jacket on a chair. He realized that it was almost noon and that he had, unfortunately for him, not bothered to go shopping yet. He's been frankly annoying himself lately: inattentive, lazy, angry, reluctant, moody, and inconstant. What pretty pejorative adjectives.

"Okay ..." Gavin began, a little embarrassed. "I admit that I haven't really thought about what you could do by bringing you here. Since I was planning on going to rest a bit ... "

"Take care of Perry?" Conrad said innocently, getting up.

"Yeah but you're not gonna do this all day are you ..?"

" Why not ?" Conrad tilted his head.

"Okay, okay. Anyway, if I only get an hour or two of sleep, it'll be okay. "

"Are you afraid that I will be bored without you? "

Conrad smirked as he saw the detective turn peony red and gently strain.

" No.. ! I'm sure you know perfectly well how to do without me ..!

"It is indeed. "

"Hmm. Do what you want. "

Gavin gave up to avoid too much trouble. Not with Conrad, but with himself.

He didn't even bother to eat anything, and went straight to his room, pushing open the door without paying any more attention before falling into his bed.

He had never understood how his sleep worked. When it was time to really sleep, then at night, he couldn't do it. On the other hand, taking a nap in the middle of the day, that he did. But with his job, it was lost.

He sighed in the sheets and opened his eyes again.

There was her scent. Hers.

He got up from the bed, and grabbed all his sheets, covers, and blankets and wrapped it all up to get out of his room, and go to his bathroom to put everything in the washing machine.

What happened yesterday had been a big mistake on his part. Normally he wouldn't have cared about sleeping with a girl he had only just met at a club. Usually, he wasn't fussy and left with a pretty girl with whom he had befriended during the evening. There it was different. There, he had looked for a very specific profile. He hadn't been interested in anyone other than this one, all because she was dark-haired, blue-eyed, haughty-looking, and at the same time dominant.

And even when they had kissed, or had sex together, it had all been ... denial. It wasn't her he had wanted to be with, it wasn't her he wanted to kiss, and touch. He'd done all this directing to prove to himself that he wasn't interested in Conrad, that he didn't have that damn android under his skin ... but he had actually proven himself to be quite the opposite.

He wished Conrad was with him that night. And he was well aware of his feelings towards him today. It wasn't just physical. Androids were designed to be visually appealing, that's true, but there was something about Conrad that, besides his looks he had to admit, really appealed to him.

"Gavin? "

"AH FU- Goddammit !" Gavin whirled around, flushed with shame and surprise. "Y'all going to kill me one day, don't you! I'm finished between you and Tina! "

"Sorry ..." Conrad smirked then tilted his head to the side. "I was just wondering why you suddenly disappeared into your bathroom with your sheets".

"It proves you're not a domestic android!" Gavin laughed softly as he stuffed his sheets into his machine. "No, I wasn't going to sleep in my loose sheets on my bathroom floor or in my tub if that's what you were wondering. I was going to wash them. "

"Here I am reassured, I thought for a few seconds that you had a problem." He paused. "Other than the usual ones at least."

Gavin raised an eyebrow as he started his washing machine, staring at the android.

"What do you mean the usual ones?" The suspicious human asked.

"Gavin, I'm far from being an idiot," Conrad said, taking a step back to lean against one of the bathroom walls to face him. "I am one of the most advanced androids, a gem of technology as Fowler would say." He gave a half-amused smile as he saw Gavin rolling his eyes. "I am also a detective android, so I am very observant and intelligent. "

"Are you done throwing flowers at yourself? I'm starting to feel ridiculous next to you forcibly. "

"What I mean," Conrad said, lifting his back from the wall to get closer to Gavin. " is I know you are someone tormented and fragile despite what you let appear." Gavin tightened his jaw. "This is not a reproach, nor a judgment. Just a statement, okay? No need to get angry or upset. "

Gavin walked out of the small room, suddenly feeling the urge to get away from Conrad who was starting to take over, both physically and emotionally. He entered his room, but Conrad followed him.

He ignored him until he pulled out some clean sheets and tossed them on the bed. He turned to him. Conrad looked preoccupied.

"And what would that do?" Gavin glared at him, arms folded. "That I am tormented and fragile, hm?"

"It wouldn't do anything…" He said looking at him relaxed. "The only thing that sets us both apart, beyond our nature, is experience. All my knowledge comes from a database that is part of my programmings, and the networks I can visit in milliseconds. And yet I only have a few months, considering the date of my activation as departure. You are thirty-seven, Gavin. Thirty-seven years of experience, all equally diverse and varied. I understand perfectly well that you have a past, that you have experienced things that could have been good and also bad. And while the good ones have shaped you, the bad ones have too. That doesn't make you a bad person though, you're just human, alive, with emotions. "

Gavin knew Conrad wasn't stupid, but hearing him say all this in person, made him realize that sometimes Conrad could be much more accommodating than himself. Even though he was an android, he looked very much like a human.

Gavin grabbed his fitted sheet and began to put it on his mattress. Instinctively, without even asking, Conrad grabbed the other end and helped him. Gavin didn't comment on it. It wasn't like he was going to do it on his own with all grace. Making the bed was laborious and sometimes comical. He wasn't in the mood to make a fool of himself in front of the android.

"I've actually been through quite a bit ..." Gavin said while tying a corner of the sheet. "And I don't think I'm ready to discuss it with you. "

"I wasn't asking you to tell me about this Gavin ..." Conrad said, looking at him almost tenderly and compassionately. "Just… that it shouldn't impact our relationship." He paused as he saw Gavin lift his head. " Whatever it is. "

"It will always impact everything… like it always has…" Gavin almost whispered, grabbing one of his pillows to put the pillowcase on it. "This is how I am. I have flaws and big ones, I know. No matter how much I work on myself, no matter how much I saw psychologists, I never really managed to open up and move on, you know?" He said with a bitter smile looking at Conrad. "So unfortunately everyone has to do with the poison I am. And I have to live with my own insecurities that ruin my everyday life." He finished his pillow along with Conrad, who had been taking care of the other, and grabbed the duvet and its cover. "And it's frankly not fun being me. I've had a lot of depression throughout my life and even had very borderline thoughts sometimes. "

"Suicide ..?" Conrad risked himself.

"Yeah ..." Gavin sighed. "But I never did because I hated my mom for a long time for it. "

Conrad quickly added this information to his Gavin Reed file. His mother had committed suicide.

" I didn't know..." Added Conrad sympathetically. "I didn't want to bring that back to you ..."

"That was twenty-six years ago," Gavin said with a shrug. "I never really knew why she did that. But it's done. It's not like I can go back in time and ask her the question or stop her. "

Conrad looked at him for a long time. He didn't know what it was like to have parents, he was an android, obviously, he didn't know. It had just been created by machines in a factory, it had been implanted with code and programmings that a brilliant brain had once created, and all for one purpose: to be the upgraded version of the RK800 unit to pursue, hunt, and kill deviant androids. Conrad knew full well that this was his primary function, but that he never had to be, having been put into circulation already deviant. He had been created to be alone, in a world where he was constantly rejected and where his existence seemed trivial to most people.

Indeed, Conrad didn't know what it was like having parents, but he did know what it was like to be alone, without a guide, on his own. Although he was a supercomputer that knew everything thanks to the many networks of Cyberlife and Google, he was still lost and ignorant in a certain way.

His LED slowly spun red, finally realizing how futile his existence was. Useless. Unwanted.

"Conrad ..? "

Android lifted his head and saw a hint of concern in Gavin's face. Conrad concentrated on calming this existential crisis that had just arisen, only to find only a golden tint on his temple.

" What's wrong.. ? "

"I just… realized that my existence is… futile. "

Conrad pulled out the duvet cover with a gesture, pulling it into place correctly inside. Gavin followed suit a little late, and let go of the fabrics while keeping his eyes on Conrad.

"Do you really believe what you just said ..?" Gavin's voice rippled slightly at the end of his sentence. "Do you think… you don't matter ..? "

" It's the case. "

Conrad straightened up and was about to leave the room to leave Gavin alone so he could rest when a hand tightened on his arm. The android stopped and turned his head to the human staring at the ground.

"You do matter…" Gavin resumed almost in a semitone, hesitating to meet his gaze. "You may have been here for a little over a week, but you are useful to the police. You are doing a good job. "

"I haven't proven anything yet. "

" Of course you did." Gavin finally looked at him. "You already manage to support me, and you are the only one to have lasted more than three days with me ..!" He let out a laugh to lighten the mood. "Last week you still solved this collection vase theft story. You do the paperwork much more efficiently than anyone. Jela was quickly identified among the black market records, and even quickly understood what was in Diana Walker's diary. Tina likes you too, Connor seems to really like the idea of you being his kind of brother, and… " He paused, and realized he was still holding the android's arm. He let go of it and began to stare at the ground again. "I'm a real asshole, I know that ... I have nothing to please anyone on any level, no matter how friendly. And yet ... Since you've been here ... "

Gavin bit his lower lip. _Since you've been here ... What?_ What was he going to tell him? That he realized he had been wrong all along the line about the androids from the start? That thanks to him he had understood that he could still feel something for others? That with his heart stunted by anger, fear, and mistrust, he could still feel alive?

Gavin had hoped so many times, during his missions, to take a stray bullet. He probably wouldn't have died a hero, for that was undoubtedly cowardly reasoning, but it would have spared him living, and suffering.

Ever since Conrad had been there ...

He sighed, closing his eyes.

"Since you've been here…" He lifted his head again to look at him. Conrad was waiting. "I feel alive again… I have…" He looked away again. "Life is more bearable than before. "

_I have a new purpose in my life._

_I want to have a second chance._

_I need you when you are not around._

"I thought you hated me. "

"That's not true ..!" The human said, promptly raising his head, defying the android with his gaze. "I-I… I'm just stupid and didn't understand a thing. But... "

"Now you understand ..?" Conrad raised a skeptical eyebrow, unsure of what Gavin had supposedly understood. "And what? "

"That no matter what you are, you are… you, and that's more than enough to be a whole person. You have emotions… You are conscious… And that's enough… "

_It is enough for me…_

Conrad searched for the slightest expression of lie on his face but found nothing but sincerity, if not unspoken. The LED returned to that calm, reassuring blue, and swiveled to face Gavin completely.

"Do I matter to you ..? "

His head tilted to the side, and his brow furrowed upwards, in an expression of doubt and apprehension to answering him. Gavin couldn't lie to himself about the expressions Conrad put on. He looked so genuine, alive, human… And that only made him more attractive.

Did Conrad matter to Gavin Reed?

"Sort of ..." he mumbled.

And that was enough to make the android smile. A subtle smile, where the corners of the lips had barely stretched, but it was a genuine smile. And Gavin had noticed it, and suddenly felt like his heart had stopped beating.

"We stop our little game then ..?" Conrad raised an eyebrow, a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

"Don't expect me to stop calling you Toaster or Terminator. "

"I didn't expect so much. "

The android smirked even more frankly and Gavin couldn't help but do the same. Conrad told him he was going to let him rest a bit, but that he would stay in the next room looking after Perry. Gavin agreed to the idea and thanked him for helping him with the bed as well.

"No worries," Conrad replied. "There was no way you could sleep with the scent of yesterday's chick. "

_Oh._

Was it jealousy?

Gavin looked at him surprised, as Conrad looked at him with that expression that meant _You're not out of the woods with me around._ And the thought made Gavin laugh.

" You know what ?" He started looking at him. "What happened might have happened, but… it was a fucking fucking shit." He almost defied him with a look. "I think I got the wrong person. "

Gavin was looking at him intently like he was trying to send him screaming brainwaves. _I'm talking about you_ _dumbass_ _!_ But he wasn't sure the android could read between the lines. Still, Conrad narrowed his eyes, suspicion creeping into his components.

Conrad gave a subtle smile, letting the detective believe that he fully understood where he was going. And he understood very well, only he wondered if he was just too much in love with the detective to think otherwise.

"Rest. It has been a tiring day. "

With that, Conrad left the room, leaving it to Gavin to close the door however he wanted. It was finally ajar, and Conrad had settled on the sofa in the living room to entertain Perry with his hand as a toy.

Gavin lay in bed for a long moment, staring up at the ceiling, wondering where things would take him if there was ever something going on between him and Conrad.

It scared him, he had to be honest, but something deep inside… made him eager, wanting to.

And curiosity always won out.

He was determined to do some testing.

Gavin had woken up around four o'clock, and Conrad was indeed still there, lying on his back on his couch, Perry curled up on his stomach, his eyes riveted on the television which was playing a cooking show.

" You like cooking ?" Gavin asked as he reappeared after his nap which felt more like a second night.

"I don't really know how to cook, to be honest," Conrad said, turning his head towards him, his fingers disappearing into the cat's coat as the pats progressed. "I don't need to eat, but… it sounds fun. "

"Well if you want to have fun cooking for me go ahead, I hate to do it ..! Normally, I only do things that are simple or eaten quickly. I never really took the time to tackle it. My dad wasn't the type to teach me that sort of thing, actually. "

Conrad took the proposal at face value. He liked the idea, even. He sat up a bit on the sofa and shrugged.

" Why not? It can be fun, indeed. And at least I'll be sure you eat decent meals regularly. Did you know you were four kilos below your ideal body mass index? "

"Oh no, he's turned into an android nutritionist ..! "

"My proposal is serious. "

"Hmm…" Gavin blushed, not knowing why. "Well...'kay… Do whatever you want… "

Conrad smiled despite himself. He had to admit it to himself. He very much liked Gavin's appearance when he was embarrassed. It gave him an air of innocence that made the android want to replace it with something much more… lustful.

Conrad involuntarily stared at the human in front of him, his lips parted, lost in thought, launching his secret simulations that only he could see. His LED swirled yellow in the process and gave him a confused but also predatory expression on his face.

That last stroke made Gavin miss a heartbeat, and that missed beat pulsed a little lower under his jeans. He moistened his lips briefly and cleared his throat to get them both out of the heavy discomfort.

"I… I'll put the sheets in the dryer."

And Gavin left the room to return to the bathroom to empty his machine. He had to take it upon himself for the hell. He had to stop sneaking around every time something seemed to be happening between the two of them, in which case nothing would ever happen. He was always afraid of making a mistake, of misinterpreting him and being thrown out. Only this was a little different. He was facing an android, a gem of technology as Fowler would say, and Conrad wasn't familiar with that sort of behavior. But he was deviant, and therefore clumsy, and maybe he didn't know how to react either.

Really, they weren't out of the woods yet.


	16. Grace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Conrad meets Tina at Ground Zero bar. They talk a lot about Gavin the whole evening, especially about his past and Tina explains why he has this behavior towards the androids or to people in general. Conrad understands better now, but he also learns something big about the detective. He suspected something but didn't really think it was actually real. It changes everything now.

Conrad entered Ground Zero at 7:30 pm sharp. It was still Happy Hour and most of the tables were full. The place was populated by both humans and androids, and Conrad understood why the bar was named like that: Ground Zero meant going back to square one, usually starting all over with a better perspective. This was their motto, to start from scratch human and cybernetic relationships to better coexist and respect each other.

Conrad liked the atmosphere of the place. It wasn't very big, not too dark either, but blue and red neon lights made the place look more futuristic and artificial. Some paintings and graffiti on the walls were done in neon colors, which were highlighted by the ultraviolet lights of the bar. The counter was particularly strange. It was painted in vantablack, a black color so matte and so deep that no reflections bounced off it. They couldn't even make out the exact shape of the object, giving the impression that the counter was nothing but an empty black space.

Conrad found it hard to grasp the perspective of this object because of this curious color. And the counter wasn’t the only object to be in vantablack, some sofas and armchairs were also in this color. It was hard enough for sober people to settle in without being afraid of falling into an infinity hole, and that would make it especially difficult for people already well into alcohol.

Conrad spotted a corner of the room with an industrial-style coffee table and a sofa just in vantablack. He walked over, stared at the object for a few seconds before reaching out to touch it. His fingers met the surface much later than he expected and briefly lost balance before instinctively resting on the black camouflaged armrest of the sofa. His LED briefly twirled yellow, and he smirked, feeling silly. He finally sat down on the sofa and found the effect rather amusing.

“Conrad! "

Said android raised his head and saw Officer Chen push his way between the tables and the people to join him. She had ditched her navy outfit for more casual gray jeans, a black tank top, an open plaid shirt in a mix of reds and whites, and her black leather jacket lined with fleece on the shoulders.

" Hello !” She said, putting her bag down next to Conrad on the sofa. " How are you? "

The android stood up to greet her and shake her hand, but Tina shook her head before laughing and hugging the android. Startled, Conrad stood still for a few seconds before awkwardly responding to the hug. He wasn't used to being so close to anyone, and although he liked Officer Chen very much, he still didn't feel completely comfortable being so close. Tina stepped back, and let go.

"I'm fine, how about you officer Chen ?"

"You, if you call me Officer Chen again I'll put you up for sale in spare parts on the black market." "

“I see you have a lot in common with Gavin,” Conrad smirked as he settled back on the sofa. "He didn't come to threats but he often tells me to stop calling him by his title. He must be feeling too serious."

" Maybe !” She laughed as she took off her leather jacket. "If he asks you to be familiar with him, you can be sure that you are on his friend list! "

Conrad smirked, happy to know that he was of minimal importance to the detective. He had explained perfectly to him and made it clear this afternoon that he was, and Conrad was starting to wonder if Gavin liked him more than just a teammate or friends, given his reactions to his kiss with Connor, the way he looked at his hands, had touched them, and his confession that his affair last night had been a mistake and that he wished he had been with someone else.

Throughout Gavin's nap, Conrad had imagined and pre-built in his software the possible approaches he could take. And the more he worked on it, the more impatient he became.

"I'm going to get myself a drink, will I bring you some thirium?" "

" Yes, please. Thank you. "

Conrad watched Tina go to the vantablack counter. Right then, he received a message that appeared in AR in his field of vision.

 _**[Gavin]  
** _ _How’s the date?  
_ _-7:41 pm_

 _**[Conrad]  
** _ _Everything is going well,  
_ _but we haven't kissed yet ...  
_ _-7: 41 pm_

Conrad pursed his lips to suppress his smile. Gavin wanted to play on words so Conrad was going to play too. He knew that provocation was a language the detective was very familiar with, and if he wanted to get close to him he had to tease him a bit.

 _**[Gavin]  
** _ _If you believe that you will be able  
_ _to kiss her, you're wrong Toaster!  
_ _She already has a girlfriend,  
_ _you're not her type  
_ _\- 7:42 pm_

 _**[Conrad]  
** _ _Here I am deeply hurt. Me  
_ _who thought I had my chances.  
_ _I now have to find myself  
_ _another person to kiss tonight ...  
_ _\- 7:42 pm_

Conrad subtly ran his tongue between his lips, a smirk, the yellow LED sending the message. He liked this game after all. It was often easier for people to say certain things when they weren't facing. Maybe Conrad can get something out of Gavin tonight?

Tina came back to their table and put down the drinks. She took a seat next to the android.

"I have always found these chairs super trippy! Looks like we're going to fall into a black hole! "

“I almost fell trying to touch it earlier.” Conrad smiled as he picked up his blue drink. "I heard we had to say something in these drink moments, right ? "

“Exactly !” Tina picked up her Pina Colada. “Hm…. To Gavin who's not here tonight and who's going to have burning ears! "

Conrad chuckled and clinked his glass against the young woman's before everyone took a sip of their drink.

"And to our new friendship too ..!" Tina smiled before putting her glass down. "But no more chattering! We are here tonight to talk about very important things. "

“Absolutely.” Conrad put his glass down as well. "I'm going to get right to the point with you Tina." "

"Oh my god, what are you going to tell me? "

The android wasn't quite sure whether to tell her or not, but he needed to talk to someone other than Connor. His brother was okay with his feelings for the detective, only Connor didn't have a very pleasant history with him, and he feared that Gavin would play with his feelings, and hurt him.

 _**[Gavin]  
** _ _Why the hell you should kiss  
_ _anybody, Conrad ?? It's not because  
_ _you are in a bar that you have to flirt!  
_ _\- 7:45 pm_

 _**[Conrad]  
** _ _I've never flirted before. I must  
_ _prepare_ _for day D. With a_ _good  
person when the time comes.  
_ _\- 7:45 pm_

Conrad already imagined Gavin tearing his hair in frustration behind his phone and he suppressed a smile. He refocused on Tina.

"I have… feelings for Gavin.” Tina placed both hands over her mouth, her eyes wide open. "That's why I need to get to know him a little better and… why not reach out to him more personally. "

" Oh - my - God. "

Tina grabbed her glass and took a big sip before setting it back on the table and better to turn to Conrad to look at him. She grabbed his hands in hers and plunged her brown eyes into the steel ones of the android.

" I am so happy !! "

" Why.. ?” Conrad asked, confused.

"Oh he's gonna fucking kill me ..!” She let go of his hands to catch her own face. "But I have to tell you! Otherwise, you will beat around the bush for another thirty years! "

The android frowned, still struggling with expressions and especially disturbed by Tina's reactions. A mixture of excitement, happiness, and fear.

Tina took a deep breath, her hands were frozen in the air to calm down.

“Okay okay !” She exhaled and opened her eyes to look at the android. “He has feelings for you too. "

Conrad's pump stopped beating for half a second and made him suddenly feel hollow in his chest. His breath hitched without deciding, then picked up again, as information took more and more place in his programmings.

He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. He breathed in to cheer himself up but Tina had to apologize by taking her phone out of her bag. She glanced at it then laughed. She turned her phone to Conrad so he could see.

It was a message from Gavin.

 _**[Gavin]  
** _ _Hey T, can you keep an eye on Robocop?  
_ _I'm afraid he'll do some bullshit tonight  
_ _and let him go on a 'hunt', please  
_ _-7: 51pm_

Conrad laughed and quickly understood what the term _hunt_ meant.

"An explanation, sir?” Tina laughed as well.

“Sarcasm and provocation are approaches Gavin is very familiar with, and I wanted to have a little fun, and test it too, making him think I was going to have fun tonight. "

"You are an ugly duckling!" She said, giving him a gentle punch in the shoulder. "Poor guy, he's crazy about you, he's having a hard time accepting it and you make him do it in express mode! "

“Indeed, we've only known each other for a little over a week, but… I think… we're wasting time. "

"Ah, I'm not the one saying it!” She said, raising her hands to exonerate herself. "What do I tell him? That you're already hanging around a young man's neck? "

“I didn't know you were so sneaky Tina.” Conrad raised his eyebrows, impressed. “Let's say this can be my entertainment tonight.” He smiled and picked up his drink as Tina responded to Gavin's message. "So… he really has feelings for me ..?"

Tina sent her message which sounded something like Conrad had been planting her for a good five minutes and was laughing with a young man. What she didn't know was that Gavin suddenly felt overly jealous of Conrad talking to anyone other than himself, and most importantly, laughing. He had been the first to hear him laugh and wanted to continue to be the only one with this privilege.

“You know, Gavin had a lot of bad sentimental experiences in his life. Already, even though you're an android and technically you don't have a gender, you're the first person with masculine features he's attracted to. And it's not just physically, it's sentimental too, I'm sure.” She said as she put her phone away. “I know he suffered a lot from dropouts. Already, his mother committed suicide when he was eleven years old.” Conrad nodded softly, already having this information. "She had heard that her husband was cheating on her and she couldn't stand the idea. She overdosed on medication and passed out. She never woke up.” She breathed in. “Fortunately, it wasn't Gavin who found her, but his father did. It was the first experience of abandonment he had ever had. "

Conrad pursed his lips, suddenly feeling deep sadness for the detective. Life did not go hand in hand. The first experience had been violent, and Conrad could understand why Gavin was so distant sometimes.

“Then his father was not often at home, he was a prison guard and worked mostly nights, despite the death of his wife. So Gavin was all alone. Well, not really seeing that there was my mom looking after him and making sure he went to school and didn't miss anything. That's why he and I know each other so well. Then a few years later, there was Grace. "

"Who is Grace?" Conrad asked, tilting his head to the side.

“It was the household android his father bought in 2024. Gavin was in his twenties I think, but he didn't appreciate her very well. He felt like she was there to replace his mother who had passed away years earlier, and his father wasn’t gentle with Grace. "

Conrad's eyebrows rose in surprise. It was unacceptable. Why buying an android to treat it badly? Had Gavin's resentment towards androids been influenced by his father's behavior, or because he felt his mother had been replaced by a robot? Both theories were possible. It was bound to be linked.

"Was it because he thought Grace had replaced his mother that Gavin came to hate androids? "

"What? Not at all! At first, he was skeptical, but because it was the beginning of the consumer android society. But after two years he had actually started to like her. He didn’t see her as his mother but still as a necessary presence in his daily life.” Tina said, finishing her drink. “At that time, Gavin was in the police academy with me. And he had wanted to leave some space for my family, especially my mother, so since he couldn't really afford to live on his own in his own apartment, he went to live with his father. But hey,” she said, rolling her eyes. "Since he was still working by night as when he was a kid, it was just like Gavin was living alone with Grace. They liked each other very much. Gavin really appreciated the little AK700. "

Strangely, Conrad felt a small twinge of jealousy knowing that he wasn't the only android Gavin seemed to get along well with. But it was selfish, just like this thing with his one-night stand. That was Gavin’s life, and Conrad wasn’t part of it. Not yet. And Gavin had a backstory unlike Conrad, so it was obvious he wasn't the first. He would not be the first in anything. Well, yes, because he had masculine features. There he was a pioneer.

Conrad needed to think of something else quickly. He felt ridiculous for being jealous of an android dating from 2024, whom Gavin saw more as a mother figure than a friend or more.

He then offered Tina if she wanted to drink something more, and she gladly asked him for a mojito. So Conrad nodded and got up to walk over to the counter. He leaned against the latter warily, not wanting to fall or bump in front of everyone. He called out to the bartender and ordered him a mojito and another thirium glass.

He then waited, leaning back against the object and bragging about it, and swept his gaze around the room. A man at the entrance to the bar particularly caught his attention. He couldn't see his face. It wasn't a question of angles or clothes that could hide it, no, it was just impossible for Conrad to see his face.

He only saw coarse pixels instead of his face, blurring his identity, his physique.

Uneasiness began to emerge in Conrad's programming. It was the first time he had been unable to see someone's face. He suddenly didn't feel too safe in the middle of the bar, and when the drinks were ready he returned suspiciously to his table at the back in a corner next to Tina.

"Tina, I need your help. "

The officer raised an eyebrow as she saw concern subtly painted on her friend's face. She followed his gaze, which was lost in the back of the bar.

" What is happening? "

"There is a man, I believe by his build, near the entrance, right next to the neon Ground Zero sign. He has a black jacket and a red t-shirt underneath. "

" Yes, I see him. "

"Do you see his face? "

Tina frowned, not understanding Conrad's question. Well, yes, she had understood perfectly, but it was a question that surprised her.

" Of course, why? You can’t? "

"I can only see a cluster of pixels replacing his face. A sort of censorship. I do not know why. This is the first time that I see ... well rather not seeing someone's face. "

Tina narrowed her eyes to better observe the man's face. It was rather far away, and it was starting to get more crowded.

“He's dark-haired, with very short hair I think. I couldn't tell you the color of his eyes, but he's an African-American type, with a short but well-groomed beard I would say. He has a rather square jaw, a very hard face, and he doesn't look in a good mood.” She said before pulling out her phone. "I'm going to take a picture of him. You never know if it matters. Maybe you won't be able to see it, but Gavin and the others can. And if Connor can't either, then ... "

"... then he has a technology or a way to conceal his identity from androids."

"Especially the police androids I suppose." She took the picture. “Either way, it's not open to the general public. "

“Thank you very much, I don't find it very reassuring not to see a face. And I'm not just talking about identity like I'm able to scan. "

“Yes, just seeing a face allows you to know if you can approach the person or not already. "

Tina then saw the man leaving the bar, and Conrad relaxed. It might be an open bar for all, for a moment he feared for his safety. But quickly, he relaxed as he heard Tina suddenly laugh out loud. As he turned his head sharply towards her, he encountered the screen of her phone under his nose and several messages from Gavin.

 _**[Gavin]  
** _ _You fucking serious ??  
_ _He was supposed to spend  
_ _the evening with you!  
_ _Go take him back!  
_ _\- 7:58 pm_

 _**[Gavin]  
** _ _Is he with you again?  
_ _Did something happen?  
_ _\- 8:03 pm_

 _**[Gavin]  
** _ _Heeeey hoooo ??  
_ _-8: 06 pm_

 _**[Gavin]  
** _ _Fuck T answer me!  
_ _I don’t dare to send him any messages!  
_ _He will suspect something if he sees  
_ _that I am aware of what he’ doing_  
 _and that I contact him for that!  
_ _-8: 10 pm_

Conrad couldn't help but laugh out loud. He shouldn't be laughing at Gavin's distress, but it was especially amusing to imagine him jealous, flushed with anger fuming. He had only one desire, and that was to silence his doubts in a kiss that would leave him speechless.

"So what do I reply? Did you kiss the young man? Did you walk away with him and left me alone? Or did you realize that he wasn’t gavinish enough for your taste? "

"I think we've teased him enough for tonight ..." Conrad smirked, then took a sip of thirium. "I think you can answer the third one, without giving him too much notice that I like him too. "

"Aaaw… You’re tired of beating around the bush but you want to make it last?" "

“No, I want to choose when and how I will make my entrance. "

“A real diva ..! "

“It takes a lot for a drama queen. "

“Oh, you don't think so well! "

And she toasted her mojito against the glass of thirium before taking a sip. She simply replied that Conrad had changed his mind, finding no interest in this person, that he preferred to keep himself for someone else. Suspense guaranteed.

She put her phone away.

"To come back to Grace…" Tina took a deep breath. “She once became deviant. "

“Deviant? What year? "

"I don't know ..?” Tina said shrugging her shoulders. "I believe in 2030 something like that?"

"Impossible ..." Conrad said, shaking his head. "Kamski left Cyberlife in 2028, and the first cases of deviancy occurred in 2032 ..."

“Officially.” Said Tina literally pointed at him. “Either way, Grace had become deviant when Gavin's father died. He wasn't really troubled by the fact that Grace seemed to be more emotional and to feel more like an individual rather than a machine. Only… ” Tina put her now empty glass on the table, circling it. "Cyberlife somehow found out and came looking for Grace. Since she was still under warranty, they told Gavin she needed repairs, and took her away. When Grace returned ..."

"She was no longer Grace ..."

"Indeed… Gavin had noticed the changes and had been deeply hurt. He had felt abandoned and by Grace again this time around, so ... it was easier for him to hate her. She didn't feel anything anyway, you understand? He could spit reproaches and insults at her without her doing anything to him... "

" I understand... "

"He only recently realized that androids have real emotions, thanks to you. And I think it made him realize that he had deliberately let Cyberlife kill one of the few people who cared about him, and who Gavin cared for… " She shook her head gently. "I think that's also why he doesn't get along especially well with Connor. He has already been destroyed according to Hank, and several times even. Even though Gavin wasn’t close to him, he was dealing with his trauma constantly. See an android feel, then come back and be a machine. "

Conrad stared at his empty glass for a long time, his fingers playing absently with the fabric of his white coat.

"I suspected from the start that it was related to a loss of an android… But… I didn't know that it was so important and painful for him… Connor was a constant reminder… and by becoming attached to me… He fears that one day it could happen again… Right…? "

"I think you're right…" She put her hand on him. “I'll be honest with you Conrad. Gavin is difficult when you don't know him well but… he feels terribly alone and needs to have someone by his side who he cares about… a goal to live on… His carelessness at work is because apart from his cat, no one is waiting for him at home ... So if you love him, Conrad, show it to him. Because he does, and one day it will be too late to say it ... "

Conrad felt his programs go full blast, feeling his emotions like gusts in his head, and sensations sent through his nervous system and his whole body. He nodded and smiled softly.

"Come on… I know you'd like to go join him… Go on…" She smiled at him. "I'm not going to hold you back anymore. "

Conrad then stood up and asked Tina if she was going to come home too, but she reassured him by telling him that her girlfriend was going to come and pick her up in a quarter, she didn't live very far away.

Conrad nodded then, and wished her a good end of the night, then left Ground Zero.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I finished writing and translate this fanfic, I have no more purpose in my life right now... Guess I have to write new fanfic now? Here are my ideas :  
> 1) An AU with a Vigilante RK900 (a bit like Nightwing from Batman) and the detective Gavin Reed who wants to catch this mysterious man who fights bad guys in the middle of the night. This is a mouse/cat game when Gavin got attacked and the Vigilante intervenes to protect him. Maybe this guardian isn't a villain..? [Reed900]  
> 2) A short story about Gavin wanting to teach his teammate Nines some "social skills" (Not really social actually, more smutty... ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ). In the first place, it was just about "teaching" and having fun, but after several sessions with Nines, Gavin realizes he might actually like a bit too much the android, and wants to be more than just being a sex friend. [Reed900]  
> 3) Connor always had dysphoria for being an android and not human. Several months after his deviancy, he has no purpose in his life besides his work at the DPD. He doesn't know how to deal with his emotions, doesn't know what he might like or do, has a hard time fighting his dysphoria... But Gavin is here, and after learning to know the android, he wants to help him to figure out how to live and enjoy life.. [ConVin]


	17. Under The Moonlight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Conrad returns to Gavin's apartment to finally find him asleep on his couch. He also sees that the detective drank quite a lot because of their little texts. Conrad is worried and feels guilty for that and tries to wake Gavin up to be sure he's fine. After debating a bit with the human who seems to be lost in his feelings, Conrad tries to take his hands... and his face... and asks him if Gavin trusts him. And yes, he does. "I want you to accept... and don't be afraid of it anymore..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: NSFW!  
> (handjobs, frottage)

About twenty minutes of a walk later, Conrad arrived in front of Gavin's apartment building. He didn't know if he should let him know when he arrived. He hadn't planned on getting the android tonight, he had made it clear to him before he left that he would see him again the next day. Maybe he wouldn't be welcome?

He looked up and saw the dark windows. Maybe he wasn't there? Or was sleeping?

Conrad hesitated outside for long minutes before finally deciding to enter the building. He took the elevator and went up to the fourth floor. He walked along the hallways that lit up as he passed and stopped in front of the apartment in question.

He knocked on the door but no one came to open it. He didn't ring the bell either, for fear of waking him up if he ever fell asleep. Gavin’s sleep was so precious that he was considering breaking into his home.

He retracted his synthetic skin with his hand, rested it on the electronic lock, and hacked it to unlock it with a little click as the latch opened. He entered the apartment slowly, plunged into darkness. Everything was calm, the objects and elements in their place. Except for a large dark mass on the sofa.

In one scan, Conrad identified the figure as Gavin's, asleep across his couch. Conrad closed the door behind him, removed his coat, left it on the back of a chair, and slowly approached him.

Seeing Gavin again after everything he had learned from Tina made his heartache, although it was only a simulation of his sensory sensors because of his emotions.

He didn't feel sorry for Gavin but felt sad to know what the detective had been going through. Conrad also knew that these were just a few things in his life and that he had experienced others, more or less worse. But for now, the android wanted to be close to Gavin, to reassure him, to tell him he was there, as he wanted him to be. And tell him that he would still be there, as long as he wanted ...

His LED spun yellow for a few seconds, searching for the best approach thanks to his preconstruction software. He finally decided to sit gently on the edge of the sofa. And that was one of the few times he felt so close to Gavin, his hip touching his thigh. He remained focused and raised his hand to gently shake his teammate's forearm. The synthetic skin had retreated on its own, Conrad still having no control over it when Gavin was within reach.

" _Gavin .._?” Conrad whispered, his white hand touching his skin. " _Gav_ -"

Gavin awoke with difficulty, moaning in pain. Conrad hastened to scan him and noticed the phenomenal amount of alcohol he had ingested. The android then searched the room for the responsible one, only to find a bottle of whisky on his kitchen counter, almost empty. He had only been away from Gavin's for three hours. He had returned to New Jericho in the meantime to dress differently before joining Tina, but the human had found a way to almost have an alcoholic coma within that time.

"What happened to you drinking so much Gavin?” Conrad said, trying to get him to sit up.

"What ..." Gavin began, slowly coming back to reality, letting himself be gently manipulated. " are you doing. ? "

"You shouldn't be lying like that on your back. You could suffocate if you ever had to throw up. "

"That wouldn't be very ... sexy ..."

“You could mostly die. "

Conrad managed to seat him against the back of the couch with some difficulty, Gavin not helping him for a second, and letting himself pout like a soaked sponge. Here it was not water but alcohol.

Once seated, Gavin felt his head spin again and began to moan. He held his face in his hands for a few seconds, or minutes, he wasn't really aware of the time. He finally raised his head and saw Conrad next to him.

"What the fuck are you doing here ..? "

"I… wanted to see you and make sure you were okay,” Conrad said worried about his condition. “And I see I was right to be concerned. You drank near a bottle of whisky. "

"In not even an hour ..!” Gavin laughed proud of his achievement. “And it’s your fault.” He suddenly said harder, sticking his index finger awkwardly into the android's chest.

" My fault? "

Conrad raised an eyebrow. They were still in the dark, but Gavin could see his confusion from his yellow LED floating in the air next to him. He put his hands flat on his couch to pivot to the android, anger suddenly surfacing.

“Your fucking fault.” He clenched his fists on his thighs.

"Because I said I was going to flirt tonight?” Conrad asked, tilting his head to the side. " It was a joke. I'm sorry... It wasn't funny. I just wanted to tease you. It was easier than doing it face to face ... "

"W-Why would I fucking give a fuck? "

Gavin got up but fell back on the sofa seat. His legs couldn't stand him, and his stomach hadn't liked the sudden movement too much. He remained motionless for a few seconds, the time that the unpleasant sensation passed him.

He remained silent nonetheless, his eyes riveted in the dark, probably resting on the coffee table.

"Gavin ..."

Conrad could see him clearly in the dark, and Gavin slowly closed his eyes at his name. He didn't like that tone. Conrad's voice, however, had been calm, half-tone, almost a whisper… And it scared and hurt him at the same time. It was the tone of someone who really cared, who felt sorry.

" _Get out of my house…_ " Gavin whispered, his throat tight.

" No... "

Conrad rested his hand on Gavin's again, and Gavin saw the luminous blue wave run through the android’s arm. He could feel the warmth of Conrad against his skin, that smooth and soft texture at the same time, supple and also robust. He looked up, eyes half-closed, at Conrad's LED, which was still yellow.

At this point, it was no longer confusion, but doubt, fear. And Gavin was in the same condition. He felt it through this contact. He was almost certain he could sense Conrad's emotions this way, but he didn't know how it was possible.

He looked back, slowly turning his palm upwards so that the insides of their hands could touch. The gesture was slow, gentle as if they could break at the slightest pressure.

Eyes still on their hands, Gavin took a deep breath before whispering.

" _What ..._ " He swallowed. " _What do you want from me.. ?_ "

Conrad felt his pump miss a beat, and his fingers slowly began to intertwine with his. He looked at their hands too, then Gavin's face which was still in profile.

" _To not_ _be afraid anymore…_ " He started to gently run his thumb over his skin. " _Want you to_ _..._ _to_ _accept ..._ "

He too could sense Gavin's emotions through his transdermal sensors at that precise moment. He was terrified, he doubted, and he understood perfectly.

Conrad slowly moved closer, their hands still tied, so their legs could touch. Silently, the android risked pressing his shoulder against Gavin's, and then after making sure he wasn't throwing him back, Conrad gently rested his head against Gavin’s, the pump almost echoing in his frame.

His heart stopped for a few seconds before suddenly resuming when Gavin finally let his head rest against his. The human's fingers tightened between his, and Conrad responded in the same way.

He had never been so close to Gavin as he was then, and he almost felt like he was about to lose control, to take him against him and kiss him. But he had to concentrate so as not to frighten him further. He had taken the first step towards him, now it was up to Gavin to choose.

They stayed like that for long minutes, silent. Gavin was thinking fast, he didn't know what to do, he felt vulnerable, silly, and trapped. He had let Conrad come closer to him, touch him, do some qualified rather intimate gestures, and he had responded. He was there now. He was afraid of what might happen, whether now or in the distant future.

Panic started to take hold of him slowly, and his breathing quickened to a crescendo, lifting his chest more and more, breaking the silence that had settled in the room with his shaky breath.

Conrad gently lifted his head, forcing Gavin to straighten his in the motion, to watch him.

" _Gavin ..._ "

He was about to have a panic attack, lost in his tumultuous thoughts, causing him doubt, fear, inconsistency, and the inability to think clearly. The only solution he could see was escaping. Push Conrad away, tell him to go, go and hide in a corner, and never come out. He suddenly thought of the repercussions. Even if they stopped now, they had still gone too far. It wouldn't be the same, either on a friendly or professional level. It was already too late.

"G-Get out ..." Gavin said half-word, his voice shaking. " _Please..._ "

"And I told you _no ..._ "

" Why? "

Gavin let go of his hand to clench his fists, stepping in anger and fear. He had always been like that. When things got too obvious, a bond was about to be made, he felt that fear and he pushed the other away with that anger to protect himself.

But Conrad had understood the character, and he had no intention of giving up. He gently raised his hand, still white, and gently rested his fingers on Gavin's opposite cheek to rotate his head in his direction. Frustration, anger, and fear were clearly visible on his face, and his eyes searched for Conrad's in the darkness, shining with despair.

" You trust me.. ?” Conrad tilted his head slightly. Gavin inhaled through his nose and nodded softly. "So let me do ..."

Conrad gave a tender smile that unfortunately, Gavin couldn't see. He gently stroked his cheek and the angle of his jaw with his fingertips. He had never been so gentle, but it came perfectly naturally at this very moment. With Gavin.

He gently withdrew his hand, letting his fingers slide down the human's cheek, finishing their tracks over his lips, which he barely brushed against the tips of his fingers, trembling slightly in anticipation. His pump was pounding fiercely in his body, shaking him almost with every beat, sending thirium racing through his veins, gently overheating his bio-components.

Conrad cupped Gavin's face, subconsciously retracting his synthetic skin with his other hand in bluish waves.

Gavin saw the yellow LED slowly move closer to his face, and his heart raced. He was afraid, but something else was being felt just below: desire, impatience, greed. He wanted it too.

His heart skipped a beat when he felt Conrad's breath crashing against his lips. He didn't know that androids could breathe. As he began to wonder why, Conrad, to ask for permission, gently hover his lips with his, and his heart stopped beating. Instinctively, Gavin opened his mouth slightly to timidly grab his lower lip between his. His breathing became a little more irregular as the contact grew deeper and Conrad responded by gently snapping his lips into the kiss, the LED turning blue again with that saving sensation. His heart leaped again, pounding wildly in his chest as the sound of the kiss rose in the room. Gavin opened his mouth, more determined this time, and pressed his lips harder against Conrad's, who let out a small, muffled moan. Adrenaline rushed through Gavin's body at the sound. It was quiet, but out of control, and coming from Conrad, it was the most erotic thing he had ever heard.

Gavin suddenly felt the fear soar and slipped his hands into the back of the android's neck to pull him even closer and intensify their kiss. Conrad parted his lips and his tongue touched the lower lip of the human with more eagerness, who accepted it without further restraint, running his own tongue against his, making them waltz together, making the kiss wetter and more erratic.

All of Conrad's sensors were on alert, causing his whole body to overheat pleasantly, causing him to lose his anchor, in reality, every time their breaths mingled, every time their tongues danced together, and their lips caught more and more with envy and impatience.

He suddenly felt Gavin nibble on his lip and that gave him a gentle electric shock throughout his system. It was too much and not enough at the same time. He wanted more. Conrad then lowered his hands from his cheeks to explore his human's torso, still hidden by his T-shirt, exerting some pressure on the more sensitive areas and who pulled a few muffled complaints from Gavin against his lips.

With a sudden stroke of blood, Gavin broke the kiss, his breath cross, his pupils dilated and black with desire. Conrad felt static electricity run through his synthetic skin at the sight. He had never been like this. Gavin was going to short circuit him.

A ray of light, coming from the moon, had brought a little light in the apartment, and without adding anything, still supporting their gazes through this slight darkness, Gavin pushed Conrad back by the shoulders to lean him against the backrest. The android let him do, and Gavin let it go when he stepped over the other’s thighs to find himself astride in front of him.

Gavin slid his arms around the back of Conrad’s neck again, pressing his body against the android’s, and came back to grab his lips between his again, with more desire and determination. Conrad instinctively closed his arms around him.

Conrad felt this fusion between them again, their emotions and sensations mingling, losing each other in each other's desire.

Gavin pulled his arms from his neck to slide his hands over the android's chest and let them go lower still. He grabbed the end of his black V-neck top. He hesitated for a few seconds, not out of fear but thinking of what he would find out. Still clinging to his lips, he ran his fingers underneath and felt that skin similar to his slip under his fingers. The finely-drawn muscles rolled under his touch, causing the android to sigh. Gavin broke the kiss again to remove Conrad's top and send it across the living room.

His gaze fell on his body. It was the first time he had seen him like this, and he had to admit that the sight was very pleasant. Conrad had the muscles and build of a professional swimmer, that was perfect. To his surprise, Gavin liked it. His gaze focused on the bright blue circle at his plexus, measuring about two inches in diameter. Subconsciously, Gavin gently placed his fingers there, tracing the circle and looking up at Conrad questioningly.

The android slowly lifted from the backrest, gently placing his palm against Gavin's hand, pressing it against his plexus, and kissing him tenderly again.

" _He's my regulator…_ " Conrad whispered against his lips before shifting to his jaw, kissing his skin in small kisses. "I _t keeps my heart beating ..._ " He slid down to his neck and nibbled gently. " _To be alive ..._ "

The small bite made Gavin sigh with pleasure, closing his eyes, enjoying the attention the android was giving him, and the sweet voice that made him vibrate from within. Gavin didn't know if it was the alcohol that made him feel so receptive and sensitive, and more confident, but he loved it. He loved that Conrad had that effect on him. No one had ever made him feel that way.

Without realizing it, Gavin bit his lip as he pressed himself further against Conrad, gently swaying his pelvis back and forth against his, the excitement mounting more and more.

Conrad felt his thirium boil and his bio-components overheat, creating software instability upon software instability. He continued to kiss the crook of the human's neck, biting occasionally, leaving faint red marks on his skin. He ran his tongue over the thin skin to taste it, and Gavin let a moan flow through the back of his throat, which electrified the android and made his cock throb. He placed his hands behind the human's back, under his T-shirt, touching his skin, gently clawing at him, pulling groans out of Gavin, who clung harder and harder to him, his erection rubbing against his, stretched under his clothes. He couldn't hold on anymore.

With a deft gesture, Conrad pulled Gavin's top off, sending it to join his further down the floor. His fingers twitched on the buckle of his belt, as Gavin captured his lips again, cupping his face, moaning against his body.

Belt undid, Conrad then began to unbutton his jeans, and pressed his hand against Gavin's erection, through the fabric in the process.

" _Hhh ... damn ..._ "

Gavin began to shake, his breath hitching, biting his lip almost painfully. He wanted so badly to take the next step, but what was the next step anyway? He had never had a relationship with a man, and for a few seconds, he felt the stress come back.

" _W-Wait…_ " he whispered unsure of himself. " _Conrad ..."_

The latter raised his head, recognizing the distress in the detective's voice. His blue eyes locked with his. Gavin suddenly wasn't sure what to do. Conrad could understand this sudden questioning, for he himself had never had a relationship at all. He knew what he was doing, knew how to do it, but never did. Even though he had the necessary programmings, the equipment to be able to have sex, he too was stressed.

" _I ... I never ... I dunno ..._ "

Conrad smirked and gently put his index finger on the human's lips, then stroked his cheek to relax and reassure him.

 _"Me neither ..."_ Conrad continued, whispering. " _And I wouldn't do anything like that ..._ "

Conrad craned his neck to kiss him, and gently tightened his fingers around Gavin's tense member through his jeans. The latter moaned deliciously against his lips.

" _But there are other ways to share something ... hm ..?_ "

Conrad continued to massage Gavin's erection, whose face had turned red with excitement and embarrassment. He then put his arms around the android's neck and shyly nodded, out of sight.

This being a confirmation, Conrad pulled down the detective's jeans fly, slipped his hand into his underwear, and languidly gripped his hard cock, freeing it from its fabric prison.

Gavin trembled to the touch, gasping in pleasure as the android began to masturbate him in a slow but full motion. His cock throbbed with excitement between his fingers, and his forehead crashed into Conrad's shoulder as he planted his fingers in his arms.

Gavin hadn't realized how much he wanted Conrad. He had done everything to reject him, to make himself hated, yet it was so easy to let go. But that, he knew it was the alcohol that made it easier. He didn't care. He was there, at Conrad's mercy, masturbating, and that was the best possible scenario.

Conrad ran his thumb over his tip while tightening his other fingers around his cock, and Gavin let out a small cry of pleasure. He slowly accelerated his wrists and Gavin began to shake, his breath erratic. He was forced to lift his head to catch some fresh air, and Conrad took the opportunity to watch him. His hair fell to his forehead, sticking to his skin with sweat, and his face exuded lust. It was this vision that Conrad wanted to see. All the time. Everyday. He wanted it. He wanted it just for himself.

Conrad pulled him close with his other hand to kiss him, and penetrated his mouth with his tongue in one gulp, sending the blood pulsing through the member between his fingers, causing Gavin to moan loudly in his mouth.

Gavin felt himself losing his mind more and more. But it was not enough. Something was missing, and he suspected that this frustration was coming from his android. Through this connection, which was eluding him now, he felt his partner's excitement but his frustration as well.

He then broke the kiss and grabbed Conrad's wrist so he could stop. The android looked up at him, the yellow LED, confused and at the same time worried.

Breathless, Gavin rose from his knees for a few moments to completely remove his jeans and shorts. Conrad watched him do so, a predatory look on his face. He looked at him from every angle he could, observing the thin scars on his chest, a larger one on the side, and a star on the shoulder. He engraved these images of his human in his memory. He was just perfect like that.

Gavin then began to undo Conrad's belt buckle, silently, but couldn't help but glance lustfully at the android. The latter helped him undo his pants, and take them off with everything else so that he was naked too, delivering his erection tight to its maximum. Gavin stared at it, not with anticipation but with lust. It looked like a real one, and the detail didn't even scare him for a second. He didn't need to be asked and returned to sit astride Conrad's thighs, pressing his pelvis against his, deliciously knocking their erections together.

Gavin clenched his teeth as he inhaled heavily, greatly appreciating the warmth that radiated from the body and the android’s cock against him. He began to rub against him, squeezing their balls together, sending the blood pulsing through its length.

Conrad was suddenly seized with glitches as their cocks rubbed against each other. He rolled his eyes, pleasure flooding his circuits, letting a moan escape him, raising the human's excitement a notch.

Gavin squeezed their two hard members in one hand and began to masturbate them vigorously together. Conrad instinctively gripped his ass, feeling the sharp shocks all over his body that masturbation and the pressure against Gavin's cock gave him. His body was shaking despite himself, it was overheated, and damn it was good.

The pace picked up again, Conrad unconsciously pressing his pelvis, and Gavin was shaking so much that his thighs were vibrating, his breathing cut in focused on the pleasure and the sensations running through his body.

" _G-Gavin .._ "

Shaking with all his being, Gavin opened his eyes which he had closed without realizing, and looked Conrad straight in the eye, keeping up the pace, both of them panting.

Conrad's LED, which had been blinking yellow since Gavin had relocated on him, suddenly turned solid red. The metallic blue gaze pierced him, his fingers dug into his skin and Conrad rolled his eyes, swinging his head back against the couch, letting out a long moan that resonated across the room.

Gavin bit his lip almost bloody at the sight and felt a warm liquid run through his fingers, sliding more easily their cocks together. He looked down and saw that Conrad was cumming, expelling a clear, slightly bluish liquid.

" _Aww_ _fu- ..!_ "

His breath caught, the orgasm pounding him violently, spilling between their bodies in turn, moaning loudly, his head shriveled up, thrown back, chest heaving under his erratic breath.

Conrad watched him, raising a hand to stroke his stomach distractedly, lost in the lag caused by his memory overloaded with all the overheating and glitches.

Gavin slowly let go of their cocks, catching his breath, his mind still clouded. He looked up at the android and saw his LED turning yellow again, spinning gently on his temple. He closed his eyes, sighed to relax, and came to rest his forearms on either side of Conrad's head, a smirk despite himself. He moved a little closer and pressed his lips feverishly to his. Conrad closed his eyes as he hugged Gavin to pull him closer to him, the LED blue again.

" _If you tell anyone about what just happened ..._ "

" _I'm good for the junkyard, I know ..._ "

Conrad smiled against his lips and kissed him again. Gavin responded to the kiss, his mind numb with so much well-being and endorphin circulating in his body. They had to take advantage of this moment, there, now, because they both knew that, starting tomorrow, things would be different. The alcohol will come back down, Gavin will step up again and probably won't want to team up with him anymore.

Conrad felt his pomp skip a beat as he imagined things could turn out like this. He shouldn't have thought otherwise, it was bound to happen. Gavin worked that way.

It was never easy with Gavin Reed, and Conrad had almost forgotten that detail, so lost in the sensations and the body of the detective the past few minutes.

What they shared there, and had shared, was privileged, and fleeting. Conrad subconsciously tightened his arms around the human.

He didn't want to let him go. He didn't want to run away.


	18. Unexpected Promise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A month has passed since that one night on the couch with Gavin and Conrad. The topic is taboo for the human and prefers to keep his distance from the android, once again closing on himself. But a new android's murder brings them into the field, and they both discover that Django's case is getting more complicated. Despite the emotional storm, Conrad decides it's time to talk about the topic with Gavin, whether he likes it or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry if you find mistakes or "weird" translation ^^" Especially when you find a "her" instead of a "him" or "his", cause in french it depends on the "word's gender" and not the person who possesses it or is aimed. It's sometimes the same word for masculine and feminine, so sometimes when I'm reading the first translation's shot, I don't see them (cause I'm usually at my 3rd chapter re-reading and am tired sorry...)  
> If you want an example to understand a bit :  
> \- Son sac = His/Her bag (that's the usual mistake, and "sac" is a masculine word)  
> \- Sa veste = His/Her jacket (same one too and "veste" is a feminine word)  
> \- Il l'embrassa = He kissed him/her ( and another one also ! but here the " l' " is kind of neutral and can be used both for masculine and for feminine person)
> 
> Do you like the french language? xD (It's still hard for me sometimes !)

Things never go as planned in life, and Conrad was starting to come to terms with the idea over time and with the experience he gained. But he clearly hadn't been ready for this.

The thirium had evaporated for hours now, but he could still see it. This pool of invisible blue blood covered the living room parquet, seeped between the wooden planks until it soaked the carpet next to it.

He walked slowly towards the body of the android lying on the ground, open orbs, black and blue, such were the optical units without the natural imitation of human eyes.

Her long, polar blond hair had captured the still wet thirium, giving it a bluish shade, like an iceberg.

"Why didn't you call me ..."

Conrad stared at the gutted body, cables, and circuits exposed. She had been killed the same way Django had been, but the killer hadn't bothered to hide the murder weapon this time around. On the carpet, amid the geometric patterns, was the same kitchen knife that had been used a month earlier against the animal. There were no fingerprints on it either, which reminded Conrad of a detail he had missed during the first investigation.

She hadn't killed her dog, he was sure about that, she cared too much for her owner's animal, and she hadn't killed herself, she wanted too much of her own life to give up on it so brutally and violently.

Another android was involved, and there was a good chance Jela's murderer was the same as Django. After all, Jela had been threatened with the word _Traitor_. The killer had returned to finish his job. And Conrad had let that happen.

She hadn't even contacted him for help, although she had his contact details perfectly. Conrad didn't understand why.

He walked around the room, scanning every possible corner, looking for clues, or rather a particular clue, and he found it, in the hallway where Django had been killed. On the same wall, a word was written in thirium, which has now become invisible to humans.

_We are in control._

But who was in control? The handwriting was the same, but he wouldn't have thought for a second that it was an android who had written it. The letters here were spaced randomly, the lines were jagged, almost shaky, and the sentence slanted towards the end. He would have thought of a human, but that detail was illogical. It was an android who had written but forced himself to write that way. But why?

"And shit ..."

Conrad snapped out of his thoughts at the curse and, most importantly, by recognizing that voice. He turned his head to his right and saw Gavin folding his arms at the hallway’s entrance, his gaze juggling between him and the wall.

"What is so exciting about this wall? "

“It's exciting because a sentence is written with thirium here,” Conrad said, pointing his finger at the wall. "But obviously you can't see it, that's why you can't work without me. "

"Do I have to remind you that I became a detective before you came around ?" Gavin gave an amused smile.

“And you need me to become a sergeant.” Conrad looked at him out of the corner of his eyes. "Don't you want to know what is written? "

Obviously, he wanted to know, but since they'd known each other, Gavin hated to admit that he absolutely needed Conrad, both pro and personal aspects. Although things were a bit ambiguous on the latter point, and Gavin still refused to take the matter seriously.

He moved closer to the wall and stood next to the android, who was standing straight up like a stick, his arms behind his back. He hated to see him with that haughty air, so stuck, so machine-like. But that was the only way Conrad had found to avoid drawing other people's attention to themselves. Connor and Tina already knew too much, although neither Conrad nor Gavin had discussed with them what had happened that famous night.

With this indifference, Tina had assumed that nothing had happened, if not worse, that an argument or a misunderstanding had taken place. And Connor thought Conrad had just given up.

There had been no arguing, just denial, doubt, demand for discretion, and a refusal to speak clearly about what had happened and what it really meant. At least, it was obviously about Gavin. Conrad had never doubted anything.

"What does that say? Let’s finish quickly. "

“This investigation is far from straightforward Gavin,” Conrad said, taking a few steps closer. "Did you see Jela was killed?" Gavin didn't answer, fully aware, and still in shock. “And I'm sure she was killed by the same android that killed Django. "

"An android? "

"No fingerprints were found in the house, neither on the murder weapon nor on the wall with the inscription. "

"Fuck ..." Gavin muttered, already fed up with this story. "Why didn't Fowler send Connor and Hank… They were with us the last time too. That pisses me off. "

“Connor and Hank are assigned to another case right now. It made sense that you and I would take care of the rest of this one. "

Gavin sighed, his arms still crossed over his chest, forming a barrier between him and the android. A month earlier, Gavin had asked Conrad to avoid talking about that famous night, wanting to focus on a purely professional relationship, although the detective was still struggling with his feelings, too stupid to open his eyes and realize that it was not a phase. They were obviously still working together, but something had broken in the android as a result. Their relationship hadn't really changed, Gavin still threw so many sarcasm at the android, and Conrad was having fun answering them. They pretended nothing had happened between them, but Conrad hid his pain under that sometimes expressionless, machine-like face. Because if their behavior was indifferent in the workplace, it was different outside. And Conrad couldn't keep up with the detective's mood swings.

"So what does say your fucking sentence? "

"We are in control," Conrad said concerned. “I can't seem to put things to make sense of it. "

“Yet it makes sense to me.” Gavin moved closer and stared at the invisible message on the wall. “Cyberlife had given Jela a warning by killing her dog. Jela had to continue to fight against them, and they came to implement their threat. "

“Kamski denied any involvement during our interview two weeks ago. Why would Cyberlife do that? And why would they have used an android to do this? "

"Connor said Kamski was lying, but he couldn't have done anything about it. Then you wonder why they would do that?” Gavin looked at him surprised. "Wait, are you the most advanced android on the planet or not?” Conrad frowned, slightly offended. “Cyberlife wants us to understand that they still have control over their products and data.” He pursed his lips. "It’s not in their best interests that humans learn that androids were programmed to become deviants, then repatriated, reformatted, or destroyed, so that humans feel safe again and redeem others.” He pursed his lips. “Their goal is to sell again and again, and for that, they have to keep this data secret. "

"Are you questioning the authenticity of deviancy? "

Gavin moaned, already feeling the conversation giving him a headache. He turned to face Conrad.

"Don't make me say what I didn't say, okay? You’re deviant, yes, that’s the reality, but it was Cyberlife that initially empowered you or Kamski, or I don’t remember what Connor told me. But you, they took you straight out deviant, plus you're the only one they did that with, which is frankly weird now that I think about it ... "

Conrad narrowed his eyes, probing the detective to try to figure out where he was going. Gavin glanced at him, shook his head, then led the way out of the hall.

Conrad was thinking quickly. Gavin had scored a point with his remark. According to his data, he had been the last android released in production in 2038. And he was initially deviant. He knew he had been activated earlier, in December or the end of November, but he had no memory of that time. The other androids subsequently sold were part of a new generation that supposedly couldn't deviate.

"So are you coming, Terminator? I point out to you that we must work, and together, as you so clearly specified five minutes ago. And the sooner we get started, the sooner it will be over. "

"Working with you has never been a problem for me, because as far as I'm concerned, I'm okay with what's going on in my head, unlike you,” Conrad said, looking into the detective's gaze, who looked away, avoiding the subject again. "But it's true that it's not very pleasant to put up with you when you're in bad faith, like now. So let's get it over with. "

Conrad walked on, deftly avoiding touching the human in his motion. Gavin bit his lip nervously, annoyed. He clenched his fists and followed in the android's footsteps. Hell, he hated himself for being so stupid. He wanted to hit himself for being so stubborn and cowardly.

"Wait," Gavin said, catching up with Conrad. "Why using an android to kill and send messages?"

"You said it yourself," Conrad walked out of the house, and looked up into the night sky. "To show they are in control."

"If Kamski isn't involved in this, then what do we do? We're talking about Cyberlife there. Who are we talking to? Carter Ward is dead. "

" I do not know... "

Gavin raised his eyebrows, surprised at the android’s words.

" You what? "

"I said I do not know," Conrad repeated, the yellow LED, frustrated that he couldn't get the pieces of the puzzle together. "I can't get anywhere. It’s like I’m unable to solve this case.” Conrad turned to him. "Something is outdated or damaged with me Gavin, and it only happens when it touches this case near or far. I had already felt that a month earlier, for the Django case. The others that I solved in the meantime were almost child's play, and now ...!” The diode turned red. “I am unable to reason correctly. I won't be able to work on this case. "

“Hey calm down. You are not incompetent, and I think you did very well on the Django case. We found Jela, we found out about the use of M.I.M.I.C, we found out about Cyberlife's involvement in the death of the dog and the two Walkers ... You were fine. You are not obsolete or damaged Conrad. You're just… ” Gavin breathed in. "Disturbed by Jela's death ..."

Conrad closed his eyes, sighing long to cool his bio-components which had taken a few degrees in frustration and anger.

"You're probably right…" Conrad said with a tight jaw, reviewing his recordings of Jela, lying on the floor behind his cameras. "I told her to call me if something happened ... But she didn't ..."

"Maybe she didn't have time ..? "

“Gavin, it's not like grabbing a phone and typing a message. For androids, it’s as quick as a thought. It’s almost instantaneous. "

Gavin understood Conrad's concern better. Something was wrong. If she hadn't contacted Conrad, it was because she couldn't, or didn't want to.

"Anyway, there is nothing more that can be done right now. I have analyzed the entire crime scene, and I will only be able to analyze Jela's memory when she would be repatriated to the police station.” Conrad resumed his walk. “I will report back in the meantime. "

"You came straight from New Jericho tonight, right?" Conrad nodded. Gavin quickened to catch up with him. “So you came in a taxi. "

Conrad stopped walking and glanced at Gavin, not understanding where he was going with all these mundane questions. Far enough from the house, down the street, and out of the ears and eyes of those in the yard, Gavin was biting his lip.

" I haven’t eaten yet. Do you want to come with me? "

Conrad's LED circled a confused yellow, his brow furrowed slightly. Gavin avoided contact or time away from work with him as much as possible, to avoid being confronted with his doubts and questioning. But tonight, Gavin was asking to spend a little time with him, outside of the professional setting. Obviously, Conrad wasn't about to refuse. All he wanted was some time with the detective, to be close to him, and hope that he could sort things out between them.

" Why not.” Conrad nodded, the blue LED returning. “I think we both need to clear our heads for a bit. "

Gavin then drove them to the nearest Lebanese restaurant, having a sudden urge for falafels on the way. After settling in and ordering, Gavin sighed to relax, but as soon as he looked up to see Conrad, lost in thought, doubt resurfaced.

"We'll find out what happened, Conrad,” Gavin said to reassure the android and clear his mind. "And you are perfectly capable of it, stop questioning yourself, trust yourself a little. "

"It's strange ..." Conrad started looking at him. "This sentence could be used in a whole other context and could be specially addressed to you. "

"You talk about that again ..." Gavin said, sighing and leaning back against the bench, "Now is not the time. "

"This is never the time with you. I'll end up blowing a fuse if you continue to be so stubborn.” Conrad looked at him intently before mimicking the detective's voice. " _And you are perfectly capable_ _of it_ _, stop questioning yourself, trust yourself a little. "_

Gavin glared at him but had to refrain from commenting when the waitress came to bring his order.

"Enjoy your meal, detective."

"Stop calling me that, we've talked about it before. "

“I too can be narrow-minded,” Conrad replied sarcastically. “It's give and take. "

Conrad gave him a broad smile that sounded completely fake and was meant to make Gavin uneasy. The latter began to eat and changed the subject so as not to bounce back on the troublesome one.

"How's it going in New Jericho otherwise?"

“It's kinda boring,” Android confessed with a sigh. “I finally met Markus last week. He's a very charismatic person, and I'm not surprised that many androids relied on him blindly during the Revolution. "

"Conrad falling in love, watch out," Gavin said wryly, hoping in his inner self that wasn't the case.

"I have plans with someone else, actually.” Conrad looked at him and Gavin plunged his look back into his meal. "But otherwise ... When I'm over there, I spend some time with Jocelyn too. She helps me to know who I am. "

"And who is Jocelyn?" Asked Gavin suddenly piqued with curiosity.

“A TA900. An android technician if you prefer. She helps me to better understand deviancy, and to know myself better too, about my features for example. "

"Hm hm ..." Gavin nodded, his mouth full. "And what did you learn about yourself? "

"That I have a nervous system in the polymer of my chassis, in that white and flexible part, you see?" Gavin nodded. "My synthetic skin is composed of thirium which solidifies in the air by the effect of oxidation, and which in contact with my frame, helps expand the sensitivity of my nerves. "

"So… do you really feel things when you touch them?" Conrad nodded. "Also the pain I presume? And the temperature? "

“Yes, and I have an endocrine system too, which means my physical, as well as emotional reactions, are triggered both by my programmings and by both hormones and synthetic proteins. In short, things that I have absolutely no control over that allow me to be more… human.” Gavin looked at him suddenly fascinated.

"So basically… Are you having uncontrolled reactions caused by external factors?" Conrad raised his eyebrows, surprised that Gavin understood so well.

"Only in terms of sleep, mood, reproduction, and sexual functions. "

"Oh ..." Gavin pouted, taking a bite out of his meal. "But still no hunger or growth ..."

“No, I don't have the necessary components for this,” Conrad said with a tight smile. "But those weren't the only things I learned, I also knew I could interface with humans, but that you had… already noticed, I think. "

Gavin eyed him puzzled, a pout twisting his lips, already in deep thought.

"Isn't that supposed to be between android? "

“Indeed, but… To me, not only.” Conrad leaned on the table and stretched his hand, palm up, between him and Gavin. His skin retracted, revealing his white chassis. " You want to try? "

" No fucking way. "

“It's not like we've never done it, Gavin. "

Then Gavin remembered that famous day. This time he had observed Conrad's hand from all angles in front of the police station, feeling his emotions heightened tenfold. He just thought it was he who was overreacting, who was excited like a teenager. And that very night, on the sofa, he had this feeling of becoming one with him.

Gavin suddenly blushed, put down his fork, and hid his face with his hands.

"Stop it, it was embarrassing, I don’t want to do it again.” He lied, still flushed with embarrassment.

“I know you're lying Gavin because I see it,” Conrad said, his hand still open towards him. "And because something is addicting about it. I know it. I felt it too, and all my programming is glitching when I imagine us in symbiosis. "

“ _Shhht, shut up_.” Gavin hissed, teeth clenched and looking around. " _Stop fucking saying stuff like that ..!_ "

"I'm only telling the truth, Gavin…" Conrad looked at him almost tenderly. "And I ... I am not afraid of this truth ..."

Gavin bit his lip hesitantly, his leg bouncing discreetly under the table. His eyes juggled between the hand of the android and his face, then after a few more seconds of hesitation he sighed, shying away from his gaze.

" _Fuck_. "

Gavin clenched his jaw and, in a somewhat harsh gesture, placed his hand in Conrad's to snap them lightly. Conrad was surprised that the detective had finally allowed himself this gesture, and immediately, the android focused on conveying all the positive emotions he felt towards him. He didn't really have to force himself, just holding his hand would trigger his programmings and create software instabilities.

At this contact, Gavin felt like a release running through his body, loosening his stress-related tensions, lifting that weight on his chest that prevented him from breathing properly, and extinguishing the anger that had been burning his being for days. His heart was pounding in his chest, ready to leap out of his body, but that exaggerated feeling was only the result of the combination of his beats and those of Conrad's heart. They were in symbiosis.

Slightly out of breath with those palpitations and the release that was running through him, he had to admit he felt excruciatingly good. Gavin looked up at the android, who was watching him. His eyes looked wet, as if ready to cry, and his eyebrows were furrowed slightly upwards, also overwhelmed by all those emotions bouncing through that contact.

" _Please…_ " Conrad began half-word. " _You know, as I do, that all_ _of_ _this… it's not a mistake…_ " His fingers tightened around his hand. "It's real ... And it's only about us Gavin ... We don’t care about the others..."

"Y-You don't understand ..." Gavin said, looking away, blushing in turn, and his throat tight. "The others aren't the problem Conrad, nor you… I'm the fucking problem in the story…"

"I fully understand Gavin…" He entwined his fingers with his. "And I won't give up on you. Never ... can you hear me ..? Never. "

The last word echoed in the detective's head, and his face began to twist in the overwhelming emotion. Instinctively, his fingers tightened around the android's and came to place his other fist against his mouth, feeling the tears about to fall.

Conrad had found his weakness. He knew Gavin was stepping back in because he was afraid of letting go and then being abandoned, hurting again. And there, he made him a promise to stay, to never give up on him. It was candid to let the idea rock, but Gavin was tired of life, of rejection, and the only person who wanted him well, he was pushing him away.

He breathed in hard, closing his eyes painfully for a few seconds, letting a few tears trace wet furrows down his cheeks. He replanted his red eyes in the android’s, all his programmings hanging, waiting for a reaction from the detective.

" _Y-_ _Y_ _ou promise me .._?” His heart thudded painfully in his chest, and his fingers clung desperately to Conrad's. " _You promise me… not to give up on me ..?_ "

Conrad then let go of his hand, got up from the seat to walk around the table, and sit next to Gavin. He hastened to hug him close, leaning his body against his to become one again, and slipping his fingers between the humans.

Gavin leaned back against Conrad’s body, suddenly shaken by nervous sobs from the overflow of emotions and all those he had held back and forbidden himself to feel until then. Instinctively, he grabbed Conrad's white coat, plunging his face against his shoulder, trying to calm himself down. He didn't really care if the other restaurant patrons were looking at them.

Conrad kissed his head absently, eyes closed, in turn letting himself be overwhelmed by the mixture of distress and relief in his human. He felt a huge weight fly off his body by this relief, and for a moment he felt glad he was hanging on to Gavin, for fear of flying off because of the new lightness.

They needed this. They needed each other like never before.

" _I promise you, Gavin…_ " Conrad said, resting his head against his, closing his eyes again, smiling discreetly. " _I promise you..._ "


	19. The Zen Garden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As things seemed to be working out, Conrad discovers that he is prone to "blackouts". Worried that this could jeopardize the case and his relationship with Gavin, the android decides to talk to Jocelyn so she can study the matter. The results turn out to be more worrying than expected when the TA900 discovers that Conrad is actually corrupted by a code line which is, for Jocelyn, indecipherable. In a panic, Conrad leaves to seek Connor's help.

When Conrad emerged from stasis, he was in his small room in New Jericho, lying in bed. He frowned as he sat up, rummaging through his memory, the LED circling yellow.

He didn't remember coming home last night. The last thing he remembered was walking Gavin outside to his house after the restaurant. He hadn't wanted to further upset the human by offering to stay for the night, having instead left him alone to relax and make peace with himself.

But then nothing more. And it wasn't the first time this had happened to him. He had already had a blackout on the night of February 26-27, before starting the Walkers investigation, another two evenings ago, before Jela's death on March 29, and another one again the day before, the 30th, after having accompanied Gavin home. Two evenings in a row. And two concerning the Walkers case.

Conrad began to seriously be worried.

He then left his room, ready himself for work, but made the first stop at the infirmary. The android knocked softly on the door and saw Jocelyn turning to greet him.

"Someone is early today." Jocelyn smiled as she moved closer to him as she was playing with a wrench between her long fingers like doing a pen trick. "You usually come to see me in the evening." She looked at him suspiciously, stopping to play with her tool. "And you haven't come yesterday or the day before ... Am I to believe you don't love me anymore? "

"I come precisely about this ..."

The TA900 clapped a hand to her chest, looking falsely offended and hurt.

" I knew it! Me who was crazy about you ... Ah… But yes it's true …" She smiled more tenderly. "You prefer your partner… Normal that you want to spend the night with him."

She gave him an amused wink, accompanied by a smile. She really liked teasing Conrad just to stimulate his emotions and make him more comfortable with his deviancy. It was a little game she enjoyed playing. They had affection for each other, but it didn't go beyond friendship.

"You'll create a hell of a misunderstanding one day Jocelyn ..." Conrad couldn't help but smile, then watched her hop up and sit on the table. "Gavin accepts his feelings since only yesterday ..."

" No waaay ?" She said really surprised. "Finally! He frustrated me so much, and I don't even know him! "

Conrad nodded, deeply sympathizing with the famous frustration. But he wasn't there to talk about Gavin, and he walked over to sit down next to the TA900.

"I wanted to talk to you about something that worries me."

"I don't like the tone you use. "

"Because it's quite serious and worrying." Jocelyn was now looking at him seriously. "I have blackouts. I do things during these absences but cannot verify what because I can not find any data in my memory. "

"That's bad news ..." she said, narrowing her eyes. " How many times? "

"I only noticed three, but there may have been more quiet ones. "

Jocelyn jumped off the auscultation table and turned to face Conrad for the deep scan, but found nothing abnormal. She expected to find a device jamming his internal memory, but there was no such thing.

"I'll have to inspect your memory if you don't mind."

Conrad nodded, and stretched his arm towards her, retracting his synthetic skin. The TA900 did the same with her artificial coffee-colored skin, and grabbed Conrad's forearm, entering his memory. In a few seconds, she found the first blockage. A refusal of access to parts of his memory, corresponding to the dates of November 15, 2038, January 21, 2039, February 13, 2039, February 20, 2039, February 27, 2039, March 28, 2039, and, the last, March 30, 2039.

It was a lot of dates.

"You have seven dates that you can't access in your memory. They are encrypted and blocked by a code line that I can't modify, I wasn't designed for this task. "

Conrad then stiffened at this information. The thought of not being in control suddenly scared him, and the possibility that he had been hacked was very plausible.

It meant that someone or something controlled him, that he had been under their influence during those dates. What if he himself could not have access to this information ...

"I was hacked ..? "

"I don't think so ..." Jocelyn said, letting go of him gently. "You have no memory until November 15, 2038, which is encrypted. This means that you were activated that day, and by Cyberlife. "

"Cyberlife? Does that mean they were able to take control of those dates?" The RK900 asked almost in a panic.

"Conrad… This is not… hacking." Jocelyn looked at him suspiciously, stepping back. "You were created and initially activated as a deviant… but I believe you can be remotely controlled by Cyberlife to achieve their ends, and hide all of that behind that code line and encryption."

"W-What? No ... it's impossible, being deviant you can't be controlled by Cyberlife right ..? "

"You don't understand…" She looked him up and down, not knowing if she could trust him. "Your deviancy is a cover ... This code line, which is the hidden part of the iceberg, has been implanted since your activation. That was their goal from the start… They use you as a tool. "

Conrad thought his whole world was shattered. His stress level rose dramatically to worry him, and his diode pounded his purple temple.

He was… a tool ..? Controlled by Cyberlife ..? From the beginning.. ? Why would they do this? If his deviancy was a cover then… So he wasn't… real? Was this just Cyberlife's plan? Was this all a lie? Was he just a pawn in their game? A puppet?

Fear turned to panic suddenly at the realization of a detail. Was everything he felt was a lie too? Cyberlife was using him… against his will. What if he was here to hurt ..?

"I have to ask you to leave New Jericho Conrad… It's too risky to have a mole here. "

"B-But I'm not a mole ..!" He quickly lifted his head to look at her. "Please… I… I swear I don't know about anything ..! "

"I know that ..." she said with a sad smile. "This is the worst… You probably don't know anything… But that makes you someone even more dangerous… And… who knows… You might have been programmed to say these things ..? "

" No.. ! "

Conrad's diode pulsed, glowing with fear and panic. Not knowing what else to do, he stood up shakily, dodging Jocelyn as he left the hospital wing, and hurried out of New Jericho to go ...

He stopped on the sidewalk.

To go where exactly? He only had New Jericho, Gavin, and the police station, and it was out of the question for him to mix the human into that if he goes to Gavin's home. Fear began to twist his components, wondering if his feelings for the detective were real or implanted or even controlled by Cyberlife.

His stress level was at 76%, and the high temperature of his bio-components made him suffocate to ventilate. He absolutely had to talk to Connor, maybe he could find a solution. And at this hour, he must have been at the police station.

A few minutes after arriving by taxi, Conrad walked into the station and passed the front desk. The ST300, Eliana, eyed him worriedly as she noticed his red LED, but the RK900 decided to ignore her and rush into the open space to find his predecessor.

He quickly glanced at Gavin's office and was relieved to find that the detective wasn't there yet. Turning his head he spotted Hank at his desk, and Connor a little further away chatting with Leo, a PC200.

"Hi Conrad how ar-"

Hank watched as the android ignored him completely, the red LED, and headed off towards Connor. The lieutenant felt his blood rush through his veins at the thought that Conrad was not himself and could hurt his Connor. He then rose from his chair and followed Conrad before catching him within few meters of the RK800, turning him by the shoulder.

"Hey kid, what's the matter? "

Connor was caught by the scene and suddenly stopped his conversation with the PC200. Conrad turned to Hank, constrained by the hand resting on his shoulder, and looked at him, worry painted on his face.

"I need to talk to Connor. "

"Yeah, but see, I'm going to be suspicious right now. Your LED has been blinking red since you arrived. And I know it's not good. "

"I have to talk to Connor ..!" Conrad said, freeing himself from the lieutenant's grip and turning to the RK800 who was watching them. "Connor… I…" His eyelids twitched in stress. "Co ..."

Conrad clenched his fists in frustration, unable to speak out loud or telepathically because of his stress levels. Synthetic tears were about to fall and Connor moved closer to him worried, after scanning him and seeing the risks that could arise from his state of stress and panic.

"It's okay Hank, I got it" He glanced confidently at the human, who nodded. "Come Nines ..."

He gently put an arm behind his back inviting him to move and follow him. Conrad let himself be guided, and they found themselves in the observation room, behind the one-way mirror. Connor made him sit down in one of the chairs, and he crouched down in front of him, resting a hand on his right knee.

" Tell me. "

Conrad had no more ability to express himself verbally but preferred to retract the synthetic skin of his hand and rest it on Connor's, which was resting on his knee.

Connor then received a flood of information going through the interface, everything concerning these blackouts, the dates, the encrypted data, the code, feeling on the way the RK900 distress, his panic, his fear, and this impression of not being anything other than a Cyberlife puppet.

Connor gently let go of his hand and looked at him. Conrad's LED was still red, but Connor lifted his chin with his fingertips so that their eyes met.

"I'll help you Nines ..." The latter nodded softly. "And you don't have to worry… Maybe Cyberlife had a purpose in making you come out already deviant, but you, you've built your own life, your own identity, your own experiences… And that, that is not them. It's you, it's yours, you did it on your own initiative. You are not manipulated outside of these dates. Everything you have done outside, it comes from you and only from you. You are not their puppet …" Conrad's LED turned yellow again. "But… being deviant does not exempt you from not being able to be controlled by Cyberlife… not while you have this code line, not while you have the default mind palace."

Conrad looked at him confused, a little calmer though.

"The mind… palace ?" He managed to articulate.

"Yes, like the zen garden, you see? "

"I…" Conrad frowned. " No, I don't see. I don't know what the Zen garden is. "

"You… you've never been in your mind palace? "

"I don't know what it is, no. "

"It's impossible, it's the virtual interface that allowed me to interact with Amanda, an AI from Cyberlife. You can't have one either. Especially if Cyberlife controls you remotely, they must necessarily operate through the mind palace. Amanda has remotely controlled me once when I was already deviant. And I almost killed Markus. "

"Isn't ..." Conrad frowned, digging through his lines of codes. "Isn't that famous code ... a firewall to prevent me from gaining access to my mind palace? "

"That Cyberlife should have concealed their existence from you ... It's not impossible, no. Everything has to be inside. Your memories of those dates, Cyberlife's goals, and the exact people behind it. "

Connor stood up, grabbed a chair, and took a seat facing Conrad. He stretched out his hand again, his skin retracted.

"Let me try to get inside. "

Conrad looked at his hand, then looked up at the person he considered his brother, his family. He grabs his hand.

" Be careful... "

" Don't worry about me." Connor smiles. "I will free you from them."

Connor closed his eyes for a few seconds. He was indeed confronted with these lines of code which seemed to block access to something. He simulated all the possible decryption keys, forcing restrictions, infiltrating Conrad's programmings deeper.

The latter had his eyes closed too, and certain maneuvers sometimes made him tremble. And after a few minutes, Connor finally came across the right combination, breaking the lines of code, breaking that encryption on the data that was hidden behind.

An environment started to load around him, showing, at first, only wireframes, then blocks without textures, which became a little more defined but still in low poly. After a few seconds, the environment finished loading, the 3D models were coated with high-quality textures as well as a more detailed, close to reality topology. The lighting finished to build up, the simulated wind breeze kicked in, and he could even hear the water rushing in and the birds singing.

He could finally contemplate it. The zen garden.

It was, for now, the same one he had during the revolution. Connor really didn't like this place. It really brought back too many bad memories, and thinking about it gave him a cold sweaty feeling that his programmings could simulate perfectly in virtual reality. He had always felt more vulnerable in his mind palace because it was a reality for him. The virtual simulations were just as real to him as the real world was to humans. In the world outside, Connor almost feels safe in his body, like a shell. He hated the zen garden. That was why he had deleted it and built a new mind palace in a place that was none other than Hank's house. Smaller, more familiar, more reassuring, and more personal.

Connor took a step forward but felt a hand wrap around his wrist. He stopped dead and turned his head to finally see Conrad standing next to him.

"It's too risky Nines..."

" I must know... "

Connor looked at him but Conrad was determined to find out what Cyberlife had done with him and what they were up to. The RK800 nodded.

" Okay. I'm going to need your help anyway. This is your own mind palace, and you will need to materialize access to data that has been concealed, such as your memories for example. "

" I can't," Conrad said taking a step forward, his eyes scanning the garden. "I have no control over this place. This is not my mind palace Connor…" He turned to him. "It's definitely being controlled by someone else. "

" Indeed. "

Both RKs quickly turned at the hearing of a third voice. A few meters in front of them was a man who looked almost identical to them, but with silver eyes, white hair pulled back, arms tucked behind his back. His pupils seemed to be bright, and his outfit was impeccable, consisting of simple white pants and a long, closed jacket in a mixture of shiny white fabrics and latex, reaching up in a stiff collar to his chin.

" Who are you? "

Conrad took a step towards him but the man laughed softly and smiled empathetically at him.

"No RK900, that's not how it works here." He took a step. "I'm the AI running this garden, and controlling you. And you're not supposed to come in here without my permission. "

The man glanced at Connor who was immediately banished from the zen garden, thrust back into the real world. Shaken by what had just happened, Connor immediately let go of Conrad's hand, who was still sitting in front of him, eyes closed, his LED red again. Connor's LED flashed the same color as he realized that Nines was alone in front of this AI they didn't know.

"Nines! "

Connor quickly sent an alert to Hank and attempted to interface with his brother again, but the body of the android flatly denied him access, repeatedly rejecting him. He absolutely had to bring Nines back to him or it would be-

" Too late. "

Connor fixed his eyes on Conrad's now open ones. He looked at him impassively at first, before stretching a mean smile, which Connor immediately identified as that of the AI earlier in the zen Garden simulation.

"Let Nines come back. "

"Or what?" He got up to look over the RK800 and lean towards him. "You're gonna hurt me?" He smiled again. "Hurting me is hurting him..."

"I wouldn't hesitate if I have to. "

" Oh really? Because this is your mission?" The AI laughed. "You are really pathetic Connor. You are just a failure. And Cyberlife hates failure." He leaned over to Connor again. "But since we're face to face ..." He grabbed him roughly by his tie as he pulled him against him. "I can finally take care of yourself. "

The AI then grabbed the gun from Connor's belt, but at the same time, the door to the observation room thudded open.

The RK900 quickly turned his head towards the wide-open door and saw two figures, one broad behind and the other in the frame, pointing something at him. The AI quickly used the facial recognition program to identify the one behind as Hank Anderson, and the other human, Gavin Reed. The AI quickly let go of Connor, ready to pounce on the new guests, but Gavin activated the taser in his hands.

The android shook from the electric shocks, eyes rolling revealing white orbs, and fell to the ground.

Gavin stood there in the doorway, his arms still outstretched in front of him, the taser hooked up to the android by the two cables, his chest heaving in adrenaline and panic.

Hank rushed in, pushing Gavin in the process, to approach Connor.

"Are you alright son ?" The lieutenant said worriedly, inspecting the android from all angles. "Connor ? "

"Yes, I ..." His LED turned yellow again. " I'm fine... "

Connor looked up at Gavin. The detective had just saved his life. He really thought the AI was about to pull the trigger and blow his head off. The RK800 gently pushed Hank away, retrieved his weapon which had fallen to the ground, and stood up to move closer to Gavin.

He gently lowered his arms, which were still outstretched straight ahead, hands gripping the taser. Gavin finally came out of his shock and began to shake.

"I-I killed… C-Conrad ..?"

He put his hand over his mouth as he realized he had shot Conrad, and hurriedly threw down his weapon as if he too had just been shot. Conrad was still on the floor, maybe he was even deactivated? Panic gripped the detective. Deviant androids don't return when they are destroyed, aren't they ..?

He knew it, Grace had been.

"F-Fuck is he .. ? "

"No Gavin, calm down ..." Connor said putting a hand on his shoulder. "He's fine… You just neutralized him. For a few minutes. We should handcuff him to make sure he doesn't try anything when he wakes up. "

Gavin couldn't move, terrified that he'd hurt or damaged Conrad. Hank, seeing that Reed wasn't moving, decided to handcuff the RK900 himself. With Connor's help, the two exited the observation room carrying Conrad arm in arm. Gavin managed to follow them, worried about what to do with him and saw them stop in front of the cells. Gavin nodded and opened the glass door, resting his hand on the scanner on the wall.

Hank and Connor laid the android on the bunk, then stepped out. The RK800 locked the cell behind them.

Gavin then turned, clenched fists, to the RK800. He seemed to have regained his foothold in reality, and he was flushed with anger, about to explode.

"I'm on the verge of a ruptured aneurysm so you better explain to me what happened! Because this! "He said pointing to the unconscious RK900 on the bunk in the cell" This wasn't Conrad! He would never have tried to kill you! So tell me that I shot another android that took Conrad's appearance thanks to a M.I.M.I.C, please ..! "

"Unfortunately…" Connor said, turning to face the cell window to look at his successor. "It's not another android wearing a M.I.M.I.C ... It's Conrad, but ..." he readjusted his tie. "He was controlled by another artificial intelligence. "

"What? He was hacked? "

" No." Connor took a deep breath as if to cheer himself up. "Cyberlife has controlled Conrad from the start. "

Gavin suddenly felt his blood run cold. It was… a fucking bad joke, it couldn't be… He had finally accepted the idea that he wanted to be with Conrad, it had taken him a fucking month to admit it and confide in it to the android. Conrad had promised him the day before that he would still be there. And now… Conrad was… ultimately controlled by Cyberlife from the beginning ..? Even when they ..?

Gavin suddenly felt his head spin and his body go numb. The beating of his heart echoed in his ears, and cold sweats slid in waves down his spine. He almost felt about to throw up.

"Gavin." Connor looked at him. "I know what you are thinking and no, you are wrong. "

"I would be surprised if you knew what I'm thinking about..." the human said, swallowing hard.

" I know it… "

The RK800 glanced at Hank, silently asking for some privacy. The lieutenant then nodded and walked back to his office. Connor gave Gavin a small smile.

"There is something between you two ... but I won't say anything, I promised."

Gavin looked at him wide-eyed. Fucking God what does Connor knew exactly? Their feelings for each other? That they kissed? Or worse, that they touched each other on the couch a month ago? Panic began to resurface.

"What I meant, Gavin is that Cyberlife isn't controlling Conrad all the time. It happened seven times. Eight if you count what happened in the observation room. But the rest of the time, he was in control, it was really him, with his own feelings ... "

"The… the night we interviewed Jela… was that him ..? And… last night ..? "

"I saw the dates, and the ones you're talking about were really him. Whatever happened those nights Gavin, it was him and only him. "

Gavin sighed loudly, deeply relieved to hear that. For a moment he had believed the script was going to repeat itself, that Conrad had been playing with him from the start, and that nothing he had said or done had been real. But everything had been sincere, true, genuine. Best of all, Connor didn't seem to know what had happened between them. God be praised.

But there was clearly another problem. Gavin turned to the glass to look at Conrad still unconscious, still handcuffed. Why was Cyberlife controlling him ..? Who was this AI? What had it made him do?

Gavin had to help Conrad. It was already his role as a policeman and a friend, but now it was much more important. They were together now, and Gavin had to help him. Because if Cyberlife took Conrad from him… he would go and blow up the tower and him with it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The White Haired AI in this chapter is inspired by Cathy090809 works and especially her albino RK900 !  
> Here is the reference : https://twitter.com/cathy090809/status/1263821660035014657/photo/1  
> Go give her some love! She's so talented! <3


	20. 1K

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Conrad must once again confront the AI parasitizing his programs to find out who it's operating for and why.

Conrad had been locked in the cell for good three hours now. He had rebooted an hour after being electrocuted by the taser, but he remained there, sitting on the bunk, still handcuffed. Connor had offered to go to the interrogation room but he refused, preferring to stay there. Conrad was in control again, but for how long? How long before the AI takes over? How long before it hurts or even kills someone?

The breach Connor had created in the code had left a door open to the Zen Garden and the data it contained. And while the AI took possession of his body, it let his guard down on the zen garden.

Conrad had then access to his lost memories.

And he wished, in the end, to never had seen them. But it was too late. He knew everything now. He knew what the AI had done using him. He knew the atrocious things he had done.

And it all made sense. He now understood why Jela hadn't contacted him.

It was because he was already there.

"Hey ..? "

The android lifted his head and saw Gavin standing in front of the cell glass. The fear that ran through his programmings faded upon seeing him, and he slowly rose from the bunk to approach the glass wall and be at the same height as the human.

"Gavin…" He looked at him apologetically. "I swear ... It wasn't me ..."

"I know…" Gavin pursed his lips. "Connor explained to me during the break." He leaned his shoulder against the glass. "I'm sorry I messed you up ..."

"I don't blame you ..." he smirked as he leaned against the glass as well, searching for contact through the glass. "It wasn't me… and I wasn't damaged. "

Gavin didn't answer, just staring at the android, lost between confusion and sadness.

"We'll have to find a solution, Conrad. Connor told me that all you need to do is delete the Zen Garden to remove this AI. "

"Except I can't do it right now Gavin…" Conrad pushed away and started to pace. "If I remove it, we'll never know what it wanted, and who's in control. And they can implant the AI in another android and continue the work. "

" What work.. ? "

The android stopped and turned to the detective. He looked down for a few seconds in thought, then lifted his head, the LED swirling red and looked at him more saddened. Gavin hated it when Conrad showed negative emotions. He was so genuine it broke his heart to see him like this.

Conrad moved closer to the window and put his hands flat against it.

"They… used me to threaten people, both androids and humans, because they knew things. But they made worse, Gavin... "

"I forbid you to say what I think you are about to say," Gavin said on his nerves, fear twisting his stomach. "I-If you tell me that… that the AI killed Django and Jela through you … then you're going to be arrested or worse! "

"I see..." Conrad gave a poor smile. "That you are and always have been very smart, Gavin ..."

"Oh for fucking God's sake ..." The human ran his hands over his face. " It's a nightmare.. ! "

"Gavin, calm down…"

"But how the hell do you want me to calm down? You know there is no point in putting androids in jail ..! To do what? Let them rust after a hundred years? People destroy them ..!" He opened his mouth in terror. "They will destroy you ..! "

"Gavin ..."

"And stop saying my fucking name ! "

The fist banged loudly against the armored glass wall, echoing the pain throughout the human nervous system. He cursed over and over, clenching his fist against his chest. Conrad wanted to come out and reassure him, to tell him everything would be fine, to try to ease his pain, but he was too afraid that the AI would use this moment to return.

He was a coward.

"Gavin, listen to me. We have proof. The recordings which I now have access to prove the involvement of the AI and probably Cyberlife people behind it too. I wasn't myself. And we both know that there's now a law that says if a non-deviant android or one who has no control over themselves commits a crime, the builder or hacker is fully responsible. We can use that for this situation. Once we trace the source that controls the AI, then I could remove it all and be just myself again. "

"It's way too risky. These laws are all new, and if the judge is anti-android, you can be sure he will use the loopholes in these new decrees. "

Gavin sighed, feeling the pain in his fist subside. He rested his forehead against the glass, closing his eyes. He heard something touch the glass just behind, and when he looked he saw Conrad's hand against the glass, devoid of synthetic skin. Gavin felt his heart pound painfully.

He didn't want to lose Conrad. He didn't want him to give up on him. He didn't want him to be destroyed.

Gavin gently laid his hand flat on the glass in turn, superimposing it on the androids. He looked up and gazed into Conrad's steel eyes.

" _Delete everything... please..._ "

"Gavin..."

"I beg you..." He pursed his lips. "We can still find who's behind it all... I don't want you to expose yourself any longer... I don't want to... lose you..."

Gavin's heart rate was very high, and Conrad could clearly see he was about to break. The human whispered one more please and Conrad closed his eyes, sighing.

" _Okay..._ "

He'll do it for Gavin. He knew they could solve this case without the zen garden and the AI in Conrad's programmings, only it'll certainly take longer than expected. But ... If he did keep it, Fowler will find out at some point that Conrad is partly responsible for Jela's death, and the case will be taken off him. He will then have a trial, and there was a good chance that things would turn out badly for him, Gavin was right.

And Conrad didn't want to die. He didn't want Gavin to be alone again. He wanted to live and live with him.

The android closed his eyes then. When he virtually reopened them, he found himself in the zen garden again. Every virtual interface had an emergency exit to deactivate the place and all its contents. Since the AI was tied to the garden, it will be removed as well.

Conrad then scanned his surroundings.

"You finally came back. "

The android turned to his left and saw the AI leaning against a tree, arms folded across his chest.

" You're still here," Conrad said bitterly as he moved closer to him. " Why? What do you want? "

"You're not asking the right questions." The man said, pushing himself off the tree to join him. "Because I don't want anything. "

"You are not deviant. "

"Oh no, that's your role. My job is to follow someone else's orders. "

"So I rephrase my question," Conrad said, fixing his blue eyes into the AI gray ones. "What does this person want? And who are they? "

The IA smirked, put its arms behind its back, and looked at Conrad almost affectionately.

"Do you really think this is just a Cyberlife programmed deviancy story?" Conrad narrowed his eyes. " Follow me. "

The AI led the way and Conrad followed suit. They took a few steps on the paved path along the lake.

"You are not entirely wrong about Cyberlife's involvement in planned deviancy. At least, it was Elijah Kamski who had experimented with implementing the RA9 code, which was only supposed to be triggered when the android was faced with a certain situation. At this point, the android chooses whether or not to become deviant. "

"To cross the wall ..." Conrad said, seeing that famous wall again through Connor's memories.

" That is correct." The AI continued as he walked, its arms behind its back. "The deviants are thus becoming more and more numerous, Amanda Stern created a militia of deviant hunters to know the cause of this virus and be able to stop it. "

"An androids militia..." Conrad looked at his snow-like double. "The RKs? "

"The RKs, indeed. We are part of this militia. But… Even though the Revolution of November 2038 was won by androids and Cyberlife took an oath to stop harming androids and supporting them… A stand-alone protocol has remained active, which wasn't ultimately under Cyberlife's control. "

"The militia." Conrad stopped. "Let's say that the militia is indeed autonomous, and continues to hunt deviants. Why did you kill Mary Walker? She was human, not a deviant android. "

"Mary Walker, during the Revolution, knew too much about the RA9 code because of her daughter, who had been Elijah Kamski's accomplice during his experiments." The AI turned to him. "I read Diana's journal thanks to you, thank you, Conrad." He smiled and resumed walking. "Cyberlife wanted us to intercept Jela, the deviant AX400, and they wanted to blackmail Mary Walker. She was unwilling to cooperate, and she killed herself in her living room. Cyberlife has nothing to do with it. At least not directly. They are the cause, but no more involved than an employee committing suicide under the pressure of his job. You understand ? "

"So… Cyberlife is responsible for Mary Walker's suicide…" The AI nodded. "But everything that happened after the Revolution, including the Django and Jela cases ..."

"This is us. The militia. "

"But who's leading the Militia today? You said it was a stand-alone protocol, I understand it's only on the _server_ aspect. It's no more under Cyberlife's control. So who has it? Amanda Stern is deceased, and her AI has been removed. "

The AI looked at him with a smile.

"I can't say anything about the identity of my master. And …" He approached slowly. "I know what you're about to do with me." He whispered in his ear. "You cannot destroy me, Conrad… He will only have to transfer me to another body than yours to accomplish my mission…"

"And… what is your mission ..? "

"Destroy the deviants. Like all good RK. "

"RK ..? "

Conrad only realized now. The AI kept talking about them as RKs all along. And there was that resemblance to himself and Connor too, except for the eyes, and the hair, and the unusually light skin, like an albino.

"What are you ?" Conrad looked at him as he started to back away. "You're not just an AI ..."

"I'm faster..." He took a step towards him. "... stronger ..." a second. " … more resilient". Then a third. "More advanced than you, RK900. "

"Are you… an RK1000 ..? "

"My name is 1K." He smiles with a look of madness in his eyes. "And now that you know I exist, I have to integrate a new body. Coexisting with you has become too complicated. My real body is finished anyway. "

"I can't let you do your mission 1K. "

Conrad suddenly grabbed him by the throat and squeezed his fingers as hard as possible. Physical strength didn't matter in the Zen garden, but that pressure expressed the effort that Conrad was putting in his software to take over the AI. Over 1K.

But the latter looked at him amusedly, despite the bugs and glitches that were beginning to take hold of him and the zen garden.

"If you erase me out here, I would come back for Connor, and you, because without me you're just a deviant, and I track deviants."

"I will find you first and destroy you."

The Zen garden then began to shake and fade, as did 1K, whose face crumbled in a trail of pixels. Conrad closed his eyes to focus more intently, squeezing his fingers harder and harder until the back of 1K's neck snapped in his hand, and shattering the RK1000 in a cloud of pixels dissolving in the air.

Conrad reopened his eyes to reality. The LED flashes red then turns yellow again. He felt that the zen garden no longer existed and that 1K was no longer present in his codes. He was finally released from the RK1000's control.

He looked up and saw that Gavin was still there, leaning against the cell glass. He looked worried, then looked at him questioningly. Conrad inhaled, finally finding his blue LED.

"It's done," Conrad said, resting his hand against the humans through the glass separating them. "Everything has been erased... "

" How are you.. ? "

" I'm fine." He said honestly. "But I discovered something before I deleted the zen garden and the AI. "

" What? "

"It's not just an AI, but an RK1000. And it plans to integrate a new body soon. "

Gavin felt his jaw drop by surprise. Conrad had a successor. And a psychopathic and murderous successor all the more.

The detective moved off the window and put his hand on the scanner on the wall. The glass door then opened with a hiss and he entered the cell to face him.

"What about… We quickly reported what you know about it, then we go outside for five minutes ..?"

Gavin looked away, slightly flushed with embarrassment, as he stuffed his hands into his pockets. He needed a break, after all, he had seen and heard in the morning. He'd had a quick bite to eat with Connor so he could explain everything to him, but he wanted to take a break with Conrad. He didn't really like the idea that they hadn't greeted each other today. Things were supposed to be better since the promise of the night before, and he was determined to make sure everything turned out as well now. With the threat of the RK1000 now out of the way, for now, at least, they could afford to get it right.

Conrad nodded and finally got out of the cell, following Gavin to their desks.

Connor immediately intercepted him, asking if everything was okay for him to be out now, and Conrad simply told him the truth. That he had been forced to erase the AI and the zen garden, and he wasn't under its control. He made his report in a few minutes, writing down the RK1000's existence, the RK militia still active, Cyberlife's involvement in the Mary Walker suicide while still failing to have proof that could involve them in Django and Jela's murders.

Gavin had Jela's memory analyzed with Connor, but it had been too damaged to get anything out of it, much to Conrad's relief.

Gavin was already in front of the police station smoking, and Conrad, as usual for the past month, joined him with a steaming coffee. April was about to begin, but spring in Detroit was still cool. At best, temperatures reached only 15°C, but during colder periods it could drop below freezing and snow again.

Today the sky was gray, there was no wind, and it was only 7°C. Gavin was wrapped in his jacket smoking, wondering over and over again why he was still smoking and being so excruciatingly cold when he could be warm inside.

"Detective? "

Gavin quickly turned his head to his right, towards the entrance, and saw Conrad, with his Grumpy Cat mug in his hands. He loved it when the android was walking around with it. He looked stupid and adorable at the same time. Gavin smirked and pushed himself off the wall to meet him halfway, being careful to throw his cigarette in the ashtray as he passed.

"Do I remind you that this is Gavin for you? "

"And do I remind you that smoking will kill you?"

Gavin gave him a mischievous look before grinning and taking the mug from the android's hands, bringing it to his lips for a sip.

"Yeah, I know… I always wonder why when I freeze my ass."

"I missed your prose. "

Gavin let out a small chuckle before glancing at Conrad, who was looking at him almost fondly.

The detective felt his cheeks suddenly heat up, then nodded, telling the android to follow him. They then moved away from the police station to stop at the corner of the building, which was not very busy. Gavin set his mug down on a window sill at his height and turned to Conrad, who was looking at him puzzled.

He moved closer to him then, and wrapped his arms around his neck gently, bringing their bodies closer together. As Conrad began to respond to the hug, putting his arms around the human's back, Gavin craned his neck to seal his lips against his.

An electric shot ran through all the android's bio-components, suddenly making his pump missing a beat, and then suddenly drumming against the detective's heart, which echoed him. Conrad tightened his arms around his body, pressing his lips more against Gavin's, responding to the kiss fervently.

They parted slowly, and Conrad opened the eyes he had instinctively closed when he kissed him. Gavin was just looking at him, something glowing in his eyes that Conrad had never seen.

He knew what it was, and he pursed his lips. _He_ _too_ _did_.

"Hello, Terminator ..."

Conrad snorted. So that was it. Gavin wanted to say hello to him appropriately. The thought that they could greet each other in this way excited the android, who kissed him again, tenderly.

"Hello, Gavin ..."

The human smirked against his lips, kissing him again then lowered his head to rest it against his shoulder, squeezing the android tighter against his body.

" _I was afraid of losing you, Conrad…_ " Gavin whispered, pursing his lips.

"I was scared too ..." the android said, responding to the hug, being careful not to hurt him. "But I made you a promise ..." He pulled away from him to look at him. "And I'll hold it ..."

Gavin looked at him with bright eyes, a mixture of emotion, and relief. He nodded and pulled away from him completely to pick up his mug.

"I warn you, I'm not an easy-going person," Gavin began with a smirk. "Hope you like challenges ..! "

Conrad raised his eyebrows, a smirk as well.

"I love challenges. Especially when they're five feet nine tall and they look at me arrogantly. "

" Oh-oh !" Gavin said surprised, blushing, as he resumed walking. "So you like when I'm a little salty hm?" He turned to him as he walked backward. Conrad was smiling. "Aren't you a bit masochistic ?"

Gavin gave him a wink and Conrad felt his cheeks turn blue. He wasn't masochistic like Gavin said, but he liked it when the human let go and provoked him. Conrad liked things to resist him a bit. He was going to be served with Gavin. But this was just because, behind the little insults and his insolence, Gavin was just plain adorable, especially when he was flushed with anger. It just made him want to tease him back even more.

Conrad joined him.

"I just find you adorable behind your tough looks," Conrad said smiling. "And I realize I'm lucky to be the one you accept into your trust circle."

"Seriously? Conrad, you are more than in my trust circle, I hope you know that huh? "

" I know it. And I feel incredibly proud. "

"There's nothing to be proud of being with a rat like me. "

"A pretty rat then. "

Gavin suddenly jerked his head and glared at the android. Conrad chuckled and gave him a gentle nudge in the human's shoulder.

"Aaah watch out for my coffee! "


	21. From Mother To Son

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Needing more information regarding 1K, Gavin and Conrad head to Cyberlife Tower to speak with Elijah Kamski. Although elusive and somewhat manipulative, the creator ended up providing the detectives with new leads. Conrad learns more about who he is, the RK Project, and the potential culprit of this whole story.

A week had passed since the incident at the station, and despite their research on the RK1000, Conrad and Gavin had found nothing about it. The AI, aka 1K, hadn't manifested itself in any way. It was for this reason that today the two police officers stood in front of the large Cyberlife tower. They were here to speak to Elijah Kamski again for more information, and this time he had better not lie or be evasive.

Connor and Hank had taken care of their previous interview, but Conrad wanted to meet this man in person to get his own idea of the character. He was the one who had been invaded by the RK1000's AI, so he knew it better than anyone yet. Only Conrad could talk about 1K, and he hoped to have some concrete answers.

Guided by an M320, Gavin and Conrad took the elevator to the 42nd floor. The new androids made the two policemen quite uneasy. Conrad because he couldn't interface or communicate wirelessly with them, and Gavin because he still saw puppets being exploited by humans.

They both sighed at the same time as the doors closed, the M320 staying outside the elevator.

"Luckily there's a fucking elevator ..!" Gavin joked, glancing at Conrad. "Do you see us climbing up the stairs?"

"I don't see you climbing up the stairs, actually. "

"Hey ..! I do my best to be in good shape ..! I give all I have at the gym ..! "

"You can't lift 20kg on each arm."

"Let me tell you that I'm not a cyborg myself! And the strength of arms and legs is completely different. Then I don't climb the stairs on my hands. "

"I would like to see that." Said the android, smiling.

They gave each other a half-amused and half-knowing look as the elevator continued to go up. When the doors opened again on the 42nd floor, another M320 was waiting for them. Conrad thought then that these android models were assigned to each floor, designed for hospitality like the ST300. The inability to be able to interact with them disturbed him greatly. But it was no different for Gavin, who couldn't interact with anyone like that either. Besides Conrad.

They then walked along the long white corridors, pristine, in a very minimalist, futuristic, and refined design. There were a few benches with sometimes organic shapes and others more geometric. A few plants sat here and there, just to give a little life and color to this place devoid of personality.

Gavin preferred to walk on the side of the wall, where the doors followed one after the other, because, on the other side of the corridor, the wall was nothing but glass, giving a bird's eye view of the interior of the Cyberlife tower, and on the gigantic statue of a humanoid at its heart.

He wasn't particularly afraid of height, but on the 42nd floor who wouldn't be? He had done his best not to think about it when they were in the elevator, too, all made of glass.

He hated the opposing design in that strength/fragility that Cyberlife brought into the architecture in their tower. Who, sane enough, felt comfortable working in such a place?

"We've arrived detectives," said the M320, stopping outside a door. "I'll let you in. You are expected. "

"Thank you very much ..." Conrad thought briefly. "Do you have a name? "

"I am an M320, number 313-122-181-74. "

Conrad gave a small tight smile, which the other android couldn't understand but which continued to smile like she was the happiest in the world.

She was just a machine. Just a number. She had no personality. Like this place.

" We thank you. "

Conrad pushed open the door, followed by Gavin who gave the android one last look who greeted them with a jovial smile, and the door closed.

" Scary... "

"I sympathize," Conrad said, nodding his head. "She may be as well-designed and realistic as we are, but the lack of the ability to communicate with her as with Connor, for example, is extremely disturbing. "

"She's a robot, she has nothing to do with you or Connor. It gives me shivers. "

"There's something uncanny about her, even to me. "

" I agree.. ! "

"Detectives ..! "

Conrad and Gavin immediately stopped their discussion and watched the man exit an adjacent room. Elijah Kamski in all his splendor as a rich scientist and pretentious narcissistic genius came to greet them as if they were long-time friends when neither of the two detectives had yet met him in person.

Kamksi wore simple black jeans with a t-shirt of the same color but with a print of a neon blue octopus tangling in its tentacles. Still, with his hair tied back in a man bun on the top of his head, he walked over to them, his arms behind his back. A posture that was rather similar to one of Conrad, which was his default posture.

"Who am I speaking to? "

"Detective Reed," said the concerned, showing his badge. "And this is Conrad, my partner. "

"Android detective." Conrad clarified, showing his badge as well.

"Oh my…" Kamski smirked in fascination. "You are the RK900 that disappeared last November ..."

Conrad frowned, his LED flashing briefly yellow before glancing confusedly at his teammate, who looked at him the same way.

"We come to have answers. And considering what you just said just now, "Gavin said, staring at Kamski. "You seem to know essential things. "

"Are you looking for answers on the RK900?"

"Conrad." Gavin corrected. "His name is Conrad. "

"Funny," the other human smirked as he took turns looking at them. "A name similar to Connor's. "

" We work together," Conrad said, remaining stoic. "And we come to ask you questions on another subject. Only, it will be necessary to answer questions concerning me to answer others. "

"I feel like it's going to be entertaining. "

Kamksi seemed to take this interview as a game, and Gavin was already beginning to lose patience and wanted to stick his fist in his face.

The Cyberlife director turned around to walk to the next room, where he had arrived from earlier. He asked the detectives to follow him, and once through the door, they found themselves in a large room with matte black tiled floors, with a breathtaking view of Detroit, through its large glass walls. More glass and more glass, Gavin thought.

A large, white pile rug sat to the left, surrounded by individual low-seat white armchairs, probably created by a designer, accompanied by a small, also very low, shiny metal table. To the right was an islet with an asymmetrical wooden geometric figure, probably art, Gavin thought, not very receptive to such objects. A large white humanoid statue, wrapped in a black Voronoi-style pattern, was also near this islet. It seemed to glow a neon blue, which reminded Gavin when Conrad began to turn blue in embarrassment.

At the back of the room, a section of the wall was covered with large convex gold and faceted tiles. A large dark solid wood table was located just in front, which could seat ten people. Looking up a little, they could immediately notice the atypical lighting of the room, which was a set of neon lights assembled to form triangles, looking more like an origami pattern.

What a big pretentious man, Gavin thought, looking around the room. He hated it when people strutted around and surrounded themselves with expensive and supposedly artistic things.

Conrad brushed his human's hand to bring him back to him. Kamski had invited them to sit in that little living room to the left, and Gavin was standing there in the middle of the room, almost dumbfounded. He blamed himself for a few moments for being so distracted and for having led the little genius to believe that he was fascinated by his decoration. He hated it on the contrary.

He shook his head and joined Conrad near the living room, and Gavin had to make a phenomenal effort to hide his surprise when he took a seat in the chair that was far too low for him and thought he had fallen backward.

Nonetheless, Conrad had noticed his micro-expressions, as well as his heart skipping a beat and then accelerating sharply. But he didn't mention it.

"So ..." Kamski began. "How can I help you, detectives?"

"We will start from the beginning," Conrad said as he sat down in the chair next to Gavin. "What happened after the Revolution concerning me? "

Kamski smirked and crossed his legs in his chair, facing them.

"There were twenty RK900 units." He began. "The RK800 was just a prototype, useful for finding deviants. The RK900s were already in production since the end of October 2038. "

"So when Connor was activated in early august 2038, did you already have plans to replace him?" Gavin frowned, finding the idea just abominable.

" Indeed. The RK800 was only a testing phase for the real model, the RK900, to be released. We needed to improve on the latest bugs based on Connor's experiences, and his choices."

"So ..." Conrad said, putting things in order in his head. "Whenever Connor got destroyed or made bad or good choices, was it to make me better? "

"Like everything on this planet, Conrad, we learn from our mistakes and we evolve. To become better, we have to go through failures. "

"Connor is not a failure. "

"Connor is a prototype," Kamski reminded again. "He was created to be a failure and to be replaced. "

Conrad didn't like the turn of this conversation. He didn't care that Kamski beat around the bush on him, but he couldn't accept him saying that his brother was a failure. He was anything but that.

"But to come back to the main question," Kamski continued when he saw Conrad's LED turning yellow, "we ultimately weren't allowed to put the androids we owned both in factories and shops. "

"But Conrad is here," Gavin said crossing his arms over his chest. " An explanation? "

"After the revolution, we lost a lot of androids." Kamski glanced at Conrad. "The RK800 Connor came to free over a thousand androids, so by the time we checked our losses, we didn't immediately notice that one of our RK900s was missing."

"I was activated on November 15, so shortly after the November revolution. I'm also part of the RK project, and you know as well as I do that RKs are not mixed with other androids, because ... we were part of a project that was confidential. "

Kamski narrowed his eyes, surprised Conrad knew so much about RK projects. But he smirked, not wanting to show his surprise.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Kamski said as neutral as possible. "We don't have confidential projects. "

Now Conrad was one of Cyberlife's most advanced androids, and there was no way he could lie or hide anything from him. He could see the man's heart rate quickening in front of him, as well as slight muscle spasms, showing his nervousness. Conrad leaned forward, leaning on his knees, interweaving his fingers in front of his chin.

"Listen Mr. Kamski," Conrad began.

"You can call me Elijah. "

"I will call you Mr. Kamski," Conrad said cooler. "We are not friends. And other than this code called RA9 that you created and that I own, you have no connection with me." He looked at him straight in the eye. "You weren't at Cyberlife when I was created, just like Connor. We know, you and I, that you are not the RK project manager. So maybe I can accept the idea that you weren't exactly aware of the purpose of the RK Project, but you must know that it was confidential and accessible to only a handful of people. "

Elijah made a small annoyed pout as he settled himself back into his chair. He was tense, but eventually, he relaxed his shoulders, realizing that he obviously couldn't hide anything from the android in front of him.

" Very well," Elijah said, nodding his head. "I'll tell you everything. "

"This is essential for our investigation." Gavin took over. "Knowing what happened to Conrad, and why he was released will help us to understand the rest. "

"It all sounds a bit complex to me, I have to admit," Kamski said looking at the two detectives. "It sounds like a thrilling story, but… I don't know if I can be 100% helpful to you. "

"If you already answer our questions, then it will make a big difference. "

Elijah nodded, then raised his hand as if to call out to a waiter. An android then entered the room, and Conrad could identify immediately who it was.

The RT600, the first model, named Chloé. An android like him. And she had come in with a black tray on her hand, with two glasses and two bottles: water and bourbon. She set the tray down on the small coffee table between them, glanced at the detectives, and sat up.

"Thanks, Chloe. "

She nodded and left the room. Kamsi leaned forward grabbing the bottle of bourbon and offered to Gavin, who declined. He didn't drink during his working hours. With a case as important as this, there was no way he missed even a small detail.

Kamski then poured himself instead and poured Gavin some water before sitting up with his own glass in his hands.

"Yes," Kamski said crossing his legs again. "The RK project is indeed classified confidential for reasons that I cannot say. "

"We know the RKs were a private Cyberlife militia to hunt down deviants. "

"I see…" He pursed his lips. "Well, I guess we don't have any secrets from each other then. "

"Who was in charge of the RK project? "

"Professor Stern. "

"Do you mean Amanda Stern?" Conrad asked, tilting his head to the side. "She is believed to be dead in 2027."

"Indeed, but it was her who initiated the project intending to simply make androids detectives, with skills soldiers and even super-men. It was about broadening our horizons in sending the androids to different branches of the police, armies, and as you can imagine… "he paused. "I added my personal touch to it as well. "

"The RA9 code ..." Gavin narrowed his eyes.

"The code was designed to go unnoticed by programmers who were not in the know, neither in Quality Control nor in the Operator. This is why over the course of the creation of the RKs, the AIs have been reimplanted in new models, improved, keeping the good points of the previous RKs and integrating them into the following ones. "

"What was the first RK to have had the RA9 code?"

"It was an RK300, but it wasn't very efficient. By relocating his AI to those after, the code followed. And so on. "

"So it was… thanks to the RK300 that Connor and I were able to become deviant ..? "

"In a sort of way. "

"But you didn't mention the RK200, Markus. "

Elijah smiled quietly.

"The RK200 that I gave my dear friend Carl Manfred had nothing to do with the RK project as Amanda understood it. Technically, he was the first of the RKs to be programmed with RA9, also with skills that you have today Conrad, like pre-construction software, but… "He pursed his lips. "I was so proud of the result, that I faked a failure in his programmings, so he could be canceled from the project. "

"So you purposely failed your tests to give Markus to your friend as a gift?" Gavin said in shock, still having his arms crossed over his chest.

"Take it as you mean it. I was the CEO, I did what I wanted. "

Gavin couldn't believe his ears. But in a way, he was glad it had turned out this way, as Markus was a determined, persevering android, had he been an RK detective he probably would have wreaked havoc.

Fortunately, he had made a peaceful revolution, and that he was a thoughtful and lenient person. Without that, Chris Miller would have died last November.

"Who took over the project following Amanda Stern's death ?" Gavin asked, still not very confident.

"After her death, her son took over. I resigned the following year. "

"What was his name?" Conrad asked, adding this new information to the case.

"Michael Stern. I didn't really follow his work after my resignation, but before that, I created an AI in honor of his mother, which was implanted in the following RKs, notably 700 and 800. After I quit… I know that the RK project had changed its focus. Having cases of deviancy after my departure, Carter Ward, the new CEO asked Stern to use his RK to investigate. And this is where things got ... maybe got out of hand. "

Gavin narrowed his eyes at the same time as Conrad, who had his LED circling yellow. Kamski was cooperative, and they weren't going to complain, but there was no way for him to let this matter stand. A lot of information had come to clear up their questions, both about the investigation and about Conrad's condition.

They had to learn more. It was essential.

"He wanted to keep the property rights to his mother's works and made backups on an external driver to Cyberlife's. Especially on the last projects which had been carried out just before the revolution: the launch of the RK900. This is where normally, Conrad, you would have come in to replace Connor. It was inevitable, failure, or no failure. He was a prototype, he was meant to be replaced. "

"So you are implying that I am the finished product of the RKs? The final version? "

" It's exact. "

" But that's not the case. "

Gavin glared at Kamski, but Kamski looked at him slightly confused. Perhaps Conrad was meant to be the last type of RK, the point was that there was now an RK1000 out there somewhere.

"How's that's not the case, detective? "

"I'm not the last in the series," Conrad said. " I will explain it to you." He settled down properly, ready for his long speech. "The RK project had been in the hands of Michael Stern since February 2027. Seeing Cyberlife hit the wall because of the android revolution of November 2038, Stern transferred the project to a personal server and driver to keep control and have his rights on his mother's property." Kamski nodded as if to approve his words. "Only, he wanted to keep an android to always be able to work with his AI in hardware. He, therefore, chose a model from the last existing series, the RK900. He took one without Cyberlife's permission, resulting in one of them missing. Cyberlife destroyed all the others as well as the other androids that weren't implanted with an AI because of the new law, which was released in late December 2038. Meanwhile, Stern activated the RK900 he had stolen, with the original AI in it, which had been shaped by the experiences, successes, and failures of previous RKs. "

Kamski had his head bowed slightly forward but his eyes raised in Conrad's direction. He was aware of certain things, such as the fact that Stern had stolen the RK Project, but he had no idea that he was responsible for the missing of the RK900 that was now in front of him.

"Stern made a copy of that AI, and improved it," Conrad said, still seriously challenging his deductions. "With only one android on hand, he implemented the second AI with the previous one. Since the new one was illegal, he hid it behind a line of code so that it wasn't easily detected, both by an outside source and by the RK900 itself. "

Elijah bit his lip nervously before leaning forward, leaning on his knees, fists placed under his chin. An improved RK900 AI, which was probably not deviant, and which wasn't under Cyberlife's control. Kamski suddenly felt nervous. This AI was a time bomb, and Cyberlife clearly didn't need another scandal, even though Stern had strangely resigned after the revolution.

End to end, it wasn't that strange anymore, after all ...

"He agreed with his mother that deviant androids were flawed, that they could be unpredictable and dangerous, that they were just a computer virus. "

Conrad paused. They weren't really wrong there. RA9 was originally a code to cause deviancy and software instabilities to make androids aware and awake, but the code could be transmitted by simple transfers. Conrad had seen it in Connor's memories. That was what he had done with the androids in the Cyberlife warehouse. Even though deviancy was a virus, they were still alive. And Conrad didn't want to lose that awareness. He had no memories of being a machine, and he might never have been one, but one thing was for sure, he never wanted to be like that.

"That's why he made the RK900 deviant so that he could gain the others deviants' trust so that the hidden AI would then take over punctually and intercept them like all good RKs." Conrad shook his head gently. Gavin didn't like the term either, but that was what they were created for, unfortunately. "Stern created an RK1000 in my own head and hid it right under my nose for months. I only realized it after several reports of blackouts on specific dates, when the AI was taking over. I managed to get rid of the RK1000 only seven days ago, it still exists on another server. Chances are it can be implanted back into another android, only dedicated to receiving its AI. Stern feels no guilt or remorse about getting rid of the deviant androids to this day. We have to find him and stop him because he is the one giving orders to the RK1000. And he's not deviant. If we stop Stern, we stop 1K. If we stop them, there will be no more deviant androids killings caused by other androids. Because between deviants, we feel no need to destroy ourselves. "

"We need to know where Michael Stern is," Gavin said, still tense. "And quickly. We need your cooperation. "

Kamski was flabbergasted. There was an RK1000 in the wild, under the control of an anti-deviancy psychopath. But it wasn't for ethics, or out of empathy that he would cooperate, but simply to prevent public opinion from thinking that this scandal, if discovered, could be connected to Cyberlife. Whereas it was Stern, and only Stern, responsible.

"Very well," Elijah said standing up. "I will like to give you everything I can have on him so you can stop him. If you need anything else, don't hesitate. I will help you if you stop this impostor. "

Gavin and Conrad got up at the same time and nodded. Kamski gave them all the information in his possession and transferred it to Conrad.

The two detectives then left Cyberlife. A big breakthrough had taken place today, and they now had new cards to play in their favor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I'd like to thank each one of you for your kind comments, your kudos and only by the fact of reading this fiction, and if you're too shy to write anything, it's totally fine ! <3  
> I'm about to reach my delay(according to my posts on my french version) so next week I'll come back to post one chapter a week. This fanfic is around 104K words (and I still didn't write that bonus chapter I talked about a few weeks ago) so maybe it'll reach 110K at the end.  
> I'm writing new fanfic, for now, the Vigilante one if you remember (it currently has 3 chapters, it's hard for me to focus last days...) but I'll post it only when How The Heart Works will be complete here.  
> 


	22. A New Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a long and tiring day, Gavin falls asleep at his desk at the DPD. Conrad suggests him to go home but Gavin discovers, at this right moment, that Conrad has no home since New Jericho asked him to leave. The detective, therefore, orders him to come to his home for the night, and all the others from now on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: NSFW!  
> (handjobs, frottage, anal sex...)

It was past one in the morning and Gavin was at his desk, underweighting his head with his fist, eyes half-closed riveted on his terminal, mechanically scrolling through all the information Kamski had given them regarding Michael Stern. He had read them eight times. Why so much? Simply because after visiting the Cyberlife genius in the late afternoon, he and Conrad went to the place where Stern lived. The only thing is, there was no Michael Stern at that address. A couple of young women lived there, and apart from confirming that an Afro-American man lived there before, they had no other information to give them.

They were completely lost. Kamski was out of date in his data regarding Stern, and Stern certainly had to hide to avoid being tracked down for his misdeeds. He had planned that the RK900, an android detective working in the police force, could discover the plan and chase him down.

Stern had anticipated everything, and neither Gavin nor Conrad knew where to look. So Gavin reread the information over and over again, in case he missed a detail.

But more and more fatigue set in, and he continued to scroll through the information automatically, his eyes now closed.

Conrad came back from the archives room, after going there to put away some old Cyberlife files, and found the detective lowering slowly his head over his desk.

The android couldn't help but stretching a smile that was both tender and amused, then slowly approached him. There were few in the police station at this hour, so he allowed himself a small gesture that he normally wouldn't. He put his hand on Gavin's shoulder, squeezing it gently before leaning into his ear to whisper.

 _"Gavin ..?_ "

"Shhhh ..."

Conrad stood up a bit surprised but pursed his lips to keep from laughing. Gavin was already sleeping, and he obviously wanted to keep sleeping. Conrad looked around again, but no one was paying attention, so he gently spun Gavin around in his office chair to face him. The android leaned over him, resting his hands on his knees.

 _"Gav ..?_ "

Gavin inhaled deeply as he opened his eyes, realizing he had fallen asleep. His eyes fell directly into the android’s, who was hunched over him, facing him. Instinctively, he pulled his head back, sinking into his chair.

 _"Shit…_ " Conrad straightened up and Gavin rubbed his eyes. “I fell asleep, sorry. "

"There's no point in continuing, you're too tired. You should go home. "

"You're right ... Other than slowly crashing onto my desk asleep, I'm not going to get anywhere.” Gavin stretched a bit and turned to Conrad. "How much are you ..? "

"About what? "

“Your energy. "

“Oh… 37%. I can still hold on. "

Gavin frowned. Normally, Conrad never let himself go below 50%.

It was then that he realized that maybe the android was way too preoccupied with his health and the matter lately that he was neglecting himself.

The detective shook his head.

"You should also rest, just to recharge yourself a bit. I don't know what an android that has run out of battery looks like and I'm not sure I want to see it. "

“We go into a forced sleep. We suddenly stop working to recharge the batteries. "

"We will avoid it then,” Gavin said, getting up from his chair. "Do you want me to drop you off in New Jericho?"

Conrad pursed his lips, his hands behind his back. It had been a week since he no longer lived in New Jericho, he always made Gavin think he was leaving a little after him in the evening, and that he arrived a little earlier in the morning when in reality he was in stasis at his desk at night.

He hadn't said anything to Gavin so as not to worry him, but now he was a bit trapped.

“I'll do it on my own, don't worry. "

"No, I insist. It's late, and there's no way you're going home alone. No matter how great a Terminator you are, there is the T1000 out there waiting to fall on you. "

"It's not wrong, but…" Conrad hesitated then sighed. "Actually ..." His LED was spinning yellow. “I no longer live in New Jericho. "

" You what ?” Gavin frowned, not understanding. "Where do you live then?" "

" Here... "

" Here ?!” Gavin exclaimed, suddenly more than awake. “Ok. You come with me. And that's an order, okay? Come over here. "

Conrad didn't answer, mechanically obeying his order and followed Gavin out of the station. On the way, silence reigned in the car. Gavin nervously tapped the steering wheel, looping the information over and over, trying to understand why Conrad hadn't told him, and also why he didn't live over there anymore. The easiest thing was to ask the question to the concerned one. The hardest part was staying calm.

" Since when ?” Gavin said absently, his eyes on the road.

" One week. "

"Fuck Conrad," He closed his eyes briefly with a sigh before glancing at the android to his right. "Why didn't you tell me? "

“I didn't want to worry you about that, and there were things much more to worry about than me.” Gavin tightened his fingers on the steering wheel instinctively at the remark. “Then I wasn't wandering in the streets, Gavin. The station is a safe place, I didn't risk anything there."

"That's not the point, Conrad .” Gavin breathed to calm himself. Getting angry would only cause an argument and that wasn’t what he wanted. "You could have told me about it, that's all. If you had told me about it, I wouldn't have been worried since you would have come to my house. "

" I know it.” Conrad looked at him. "And given our… recent relationship, and maybe still hard for you to come to terms with, I didn't mean to rush things. So that you don't get stressed more. That's mostly why I didn't tell you about it. "

"I'd rather stress out and have you with me, Conrad, than find out that something bad happened to you because you weren't in New Jericho. Or at my house. It doesn't matter. "

Conrad didn't answer but Gavin took a deep breath, his eyes still on the road, to calm down and let go of the worry that had emerged earlier.

Conrad stared at his hands on his knees, his LED yellow. He still managed to stress and worry Gavin. He needed to improve his social skills to better know how to anticipate a situation with a human in the equation. Especially Gavin. He absolutely had to watch over him and preserves him the best he could.

"Listen ..." Gavin said more calmly after parking in front of his building. "We forget this story," he pulled the hand brake and turned to Conrad. "But I want you to understand that it's about trust above all else. Whatever is going on, mild or serious, I want to know it, and I will let you know about me too. It doesn't matter if it should stress us out or not. It is important for each other's safety.” Conrad nodded softly. "In a… normal relationship I would say the same thing to you, but… we both do a risky job, and a benign thing overlooked can quickly end up being serious or even fatal. So this is important. Okay.. ? "

Conrad nodded again, then looked down, feeling guilty that he had done something wrong, but felt fingers gently grasp his chin to lift the head he had subconsciously lowered.

Gavin looked at him with a slight smirk on his lips.

"I don't blame you… You know how I am when something bothers me and worries me… I tend to explode at the moment but I swear I don't blame you. It's over, we don't talk about it anymore ... "

Unconsciously, his thumb gently stroked the android's lower lip, and his skin retracted there in small touches. Gavin's smile stretched a little deeper, mesmerized by those little blue waves rippling under his fingers, and feeling the smooth, soft texture of his lip under his thumb. Thin horizontal lines seemed to be etched into the silicone at the corners of his lips, and two more verticals on his lower lip, going down to his chin, still covered with his artificial skin.

He looked at the android, leaned over him, steadying on his knee with his other hand, and brushed his lips with his. The texture was excruciatingly soft and Gavin pressed his lips more frankly to Conrad's, who closed his eyes in pleasure and instinctively slipped a hand on the detective's neck to deepen their kiss.

Their lips caught delicately, parted again, pressed against each other again in little kisses that broke the silence in the car.

Conrad then undid his seatbelt to better turn and face Gavin when the latter began to slide his arms around the android's neck to get a little closer, getting lost on his lips.

Instinctively, Conrad's free hand came to rest on the detective's hip, exchanging kiss after kiss, again and again, their lips more and more wet, sliding together, until their tongues finally met, causing a surge of adrenaline in humans and a soft electric flow in the android.

Their kiss began to seriously get wilder as if there was no more restraint, no more barrier. Just the need to feel the other, to merge with him. Something instinctive, raw, which made both human and machine vibrate from within.

Gavin penetrated Conrad's mouth with his tongue even more fervently, pulling out a moan from the latter, and which put a blaze rumbled in the detective's lower abdomen. Gavin had never wanted someone as hard as Conrad right now. He thought the time before it was the alcohol that tended to make things worse, but now Gavin was well and truly sober. He had never kissed anyone with such longing, never felt the need to blend in like this.

Conrad was his, just like he wanted to be the one for the android.

Conrad's fingers worked their way under the detective's t-shirt at his hip, stroking his skin gently with the tips of his fingers that had turned white from the intimacy of the gestures. Gavin sighed against his lips, seeking more contact in any way. He felt himself boiling inside, and he had to try to calm himself down, in which case things would happen in the car right now.

Gavin reluctantly pulled himself away from Conrad, and it was even very painful physically. Breathless, blushing in both embarrassment and excitement, he looked away and sighed deeply.

"Wow… I… sorry…" Gavin said, clutching his face in his hands. "I ... I got a little … too much"

"Don't apologize ..." Conrad smiles, the LED still yellow from overheating. "There are two of us in the story ..."

The android gently grabbed his hand and Gavin turned his head to look at him.

"It's normal, I think, in a relationship ..."

Conrad smirked and Gavin couldn't help but look at him and find him handsome. Just beautiful. He was just happy to know that he was his, and only his. And the word relationship didn't even scare him.

"Shall we go up ..? "

Gavin nodded and got out of the car along with Conrad. They both entered the building, and as they waited for the elevator, Gavin took his courage and slipped his hand into Conrad's to pull himself up a bit and kiss him softly.

All the doubts that had come to the surface in the detective have dissipated again at that moment. He turned to him more frankly, the android tightening his fingers around his, and the kiss deepening as he ran his other hand around the back of his neck.

For a moment, he wanted to say the words. These three important words that make things even more real and that might scare him. Afraid of being too emotional, of showing the android that he was actually a clingy and sappy person when he was in love, and of scaring the android away, afraid that Conrad wouldn't understand the importance that it would have in their relationship and for Gavin.

They had been fooling around for nearly a month but now it had only been official for a week. At work, no one knew yet, and Gavin was afraid of the others' reactions. It was too early for him, despite his urge to tell him those words. He knew what he felt about him was concrete, grounded, he had already realized that. He still found it hard to accept it sometimes, but it was stronger than him.

And then, thinking it and saying it was two completely different things. One was personal, the other was self-confessed.

They were interrupted by the jingling of the elevator, which opened once on the ground floor. Gavin pulled away from Conrad, coming back to reality, and stepped into the elevator still keeping his hand in his, pulling him inside with him.

But not saying those three words didn't prevent him from living his relationship with Conrad to the fullest. He had to take responsibility for and accept what was going on between them, especially outside of work. He wanted Conrad in his life, in his home, all the time, every day. It wasn't so bad, after all, that New Jericho didn't want Conrad anymore, so the android could come live with him. It was some kind of excuse that had saved him from making the offer on his own. He had searched for his words for a while but had given up to ask him.

That didn't stop him, however, from thinking that the other androids had been derogatory to Conrad and that the latter had been completely stupid for keeping this information from him.

The elevator opened quickly to the third floor, and Gavin hurried out, closely followed by Conrad, his hands still tangled. Gavin couldn't wait to get home, to find his comfort. Then to think that he was now going to share his apartment, his personal zone with Conrad, gave him butterflies in his stomach.

Unfortunately, Gavin had to let go of him to find his magnetic key to unlock his door to come in. Conrad then walked in along the kitchen and scanned the apartment while removing his coat and resting it on the back of a chair. He spotted Perry, who had just sat up on the couch, all dozed off after a long nap, certainly.

The android walked over to the sofa and started scratching the animal’s head that began to purr as soon as his fingers made contact with his fur.

"I know it's late," Gavin said, closing the front door and removing his jacket to put it next to Conrad's. "But I promise we'll let you sleep, Perry." "

“I don't think it's hard for him to go back to sleep. I just learned that cats sleep between 12 and 16 hours a day. It’s a lot."

"At least there is one here who can get enough sleep. "

And Gavin immediately regretted having opened his mouth. Conrad had turned to him, questioning him with a look. The android knew his teammate wasn't getting much sleep, but he wasn't sure why. He initially thought it was because Gavin was going out at night, to meet other people. A hint of jealousy resurfaced but Conrad forced himself to ignore it. But since Gavin had confided in him that he was ultimately only looking for his company and that they had vowed to stay together, to be there for each other, the tiredness of the detective had remained the same. He was missing three hours of sleep every night, and besides, dark circles were making him look sick, he was losing efficiency in his work, and had difficulty concentrating.

"It's not a scoop, Gavin," Conrad said as he approached him. "Anyone with eyes would guess you have trouble with insomnia. You look like a raccoon. "

"’Scuuuse me? "

Gavin couldn't help but laugh, mockingly offended. He liked it when Conrad was teasing and sassy. He was afraid it had rubbed off on him, but the android seemed to have developed a personality of his own, which made their conversation at times very entertaining.

“A cute little raccoon.” The android smirked, taking his hands. Gavin blushed despite himself but didn't look away. "I just don't know what is causing you sleeplessness ... I'd like to fix it ..."

Gavin sighed softly, stretching a sympathetic smile.

“Con’… It’s not something I chose. If I could get twelve hours of sleep in a raw, believe me, I would… "His smile widened as he saw the android staring at him with that look of concern in his eyes. " Don’t worry. Besides, I apologize in advance if I wake you up in the middle of the night.” Gavin rolled his eyes. "Well ... _wake_ _you_ _up_ , you get it. "

"I don't care if I wake up in the middle of the night, as long as…" Conrad lowered his head to play nervously with his partner's fingers. "As long as you're near me ..."

Gavin felt his heart suddenly weigh a ton. He shook his head, couldn't help but smile as he bit his lower lip. He moved his hands up to Conrad's cheeks and pulled him up to kiss him.

Hell, he wanted to say those three fucking words to him.

"Well that's good ..." he smiles, pulling away from him. "Because from now on you live here with me. "

" It is true.. ? "

"Yes, prepare to have a tough life, sorry. "

" I like challenges. "

“Oh, that I know. "

They smiled at each other, and Gavin walked down the hall to his bedroom. After a few seconds, he retraced his steps and looked at Conrad.

"So are you coming to sleep with me or you prefer Perry ?"

Conrad pursed his lips, smirking despite himself, and followed suit to join his partner. Once in the bedroom, and the door closed, the atmosphere grew a little thicker. Gavin only switched on his bedside lamp, the other source of light was only the moon coming through the window.

"Do you know how we sleep?” Gavin asked amused as he took off his shoes. “Like a human I mean. "

"Because there is a particular way to sleep?” Conrad asked, tilting his head to the side, amused as well.

“First, you have to undress. "

“That’s an excuse to look at me.” He smiles, slowly unbuttoning his black V-neck shirt.

" Maybe.. ?” The human laughed softly as he pulled off his top, showing the finely drawn muscles, his chest decorated with scars here and there. "I warn you, I only sleep in my underwear, otherwise I'm too hot. "

“Oh, I feel grateful. "

"Not shy then?” Gavin said, undoing his belt.

"I think we've both passed this milestone. "

Conrad smirked when he saw Gavin cheeks flushing. It's true that after having a very intimate approach together, shyness was no longer relevant, and never even had been.

Conrad took off his shirt slowly, watching the reaction of the detective who, too, had his eyes on him.

Gavin hadn't had a chance to see Conrad's body since their little slip-up, and he had completely forgotten how perfect he was. His eyes rested on the luminous blue circle at his sternum. He never forgot but Conrad was an android, and he didn't even care about it now.

Gavin focused on himself again to finish undressing and crawling under the sheets.

Conrad knew the effect he could have on his human, and he took the time to undress and fold his clothes properly on a chair. He turned to the bed again and slowly climbed on all fours like a feline before getting under the sheets, less than a meter from his human.

Gavin was just looking at him and seemed to have a thousand questions in mind.

" Come on, ask me,” Conrad said amused.

"Why are you sexualized?"

Conrad burst out laughing.

And Gavin felt his heart skip a beat. God, he loved that laugh. It was rare, and he never got tired of it.

"I don't really know… Androids can be male, female, or neutral, but… I do know that some androids, apart from those that were designed to be life or sexual partners, are sexualized to facilitate integration among humans. "

"Because having sexual parts is more trusting ?” Gavin asked with a raised eyebrow, unconvinced by this argument.

"No, but in the secret service and some military trades, it may be necessary during a mission. "

“To coax. "

" Probably.” Conrad smiled. “And, technically, I'm part of some kind of military wing, even though it's Cyberlife. "

" Wait,” Gavin said, straightening up and resting his head on his hand. "Does that mean Connor too?"

"I don't know, you can ask him next time? "

Gavin laughed nervously. In any world would he ask the RK800 if he had genitalia! It was embarrassing enough to ask Conrad that question, so Connor, he couldn't even imagine.

"And if you ever want to ask the question but you don't dare, yes, I am 100% equipped. "

" Which means.. ? "

"Front, behind, inside..."

“Oooookay! Thank you for the tip.. ! "

Conrad chuckled softly at Gavin's embarrassment and turned back to face him, resting his head on his hand.

"Can I ask you a question too ..?"

Gavin narrowed his eyes, suspecting a question about his scars that the android had certainly seen as he undressed.

" Yeah? "

"Can I… can I come in your arms…?"

Gavin looked at him surprised, not having expected that at all. And the request in itself surprised him too, he hadn't suspected that Conrad was the type to love hugs. And the idea didn't bother him at all, on the contrary. He was too, but it certainly wouldn't have been him who took the first step.

He then nodded, smiling, and spread an arm to make room for the android to snuggle up to him. Conrad didn't waste a second and pressed his body to his, nestling his head in his neck and slipping an arm over his hip.

Conrad liked it when they were in touch. He didn't dare to tell him that being so distant with him during work bothered him, he felt the need to touch him, only his hand, his lower back, a shoulder, his knee… But he didn't want to scare him away by being too tactile or clingy. So as soon as the opportunity occurred, Conrad seized it. And there he was in heaven. Even though he had done several simulations of what a hug with Gavin might look like, the reality was a thousand times better.

" Thank you... "

Gavin smiled discreetly into the android brown hair and closed his embrace around his body. He concentrated on the sensations this closeness gave him, feeling his skin against his, feeling his warmth, feeling his pump beating at the same rate as his heart. How dare he think for one second that deviants weren't alive… Conrad was just as alive as he or Perry.

He felt a wave of well-being run over him, a feeling both emitted by the android and himself, bouncing in their respective bodies thanks to Conrad's transdermal technology.

It felt so good, so good that he almost felt tears rise to his eyes. He hastened to bury his face against the android while pressing it a little more against him.

" Are you okay.. ?” Conrad asked quietly, afraid of upsetting the human holding him.

"Yes ..." Gavin said, nodding, still buried in Conrads' hair. "That ... that feels good ..."

Gavin felt Conrad's lips stretching against the skin of his neck, then a small kiss brush against him. Dammit, Conrad was actually so sweet! He was going to melt it if he kept going like this.

Gavin lifted his head off the android a little, starting to run out of air. He still held him in his arms though, but their faces were only inches apart. Conrad's ice blue eyes stared into Gavin's, and he couldn't help but break the space between them to kiss him with unsuspected tenderness.

Conrad, surprised by the feeling, let out a small muffled moan against Gavin's lips. His hand rose instinctively against his cheek, enjoying the slightly rough texture his beard caused under his fingers and barely growing back.

The kiss began to deepen, the lips pressing together, searching for each other and sucking up again and again in little kissing noises. Soft sighs of pleasure were starting to emerge, and as their breaths mingled, Gavin finally slid his tongue against Conrad's, who received a soft electric shock all the way down to his crotch, moaning louder.

It was the extra thing that caused Gavin to take it one step further, grabbing Conrad's thigh and pulling it up onto his hip, pressing their pelvis together.

Conrad broke the kiss, moaning from the sudden, exhilarating touch. A month had passed since his first experience with Gavin, and he had almost forgotten how sensitive he was to that part of his body. He hadn't tried anything on his own, finding no interest without Gavin in the equation.

Instinctively, Conrad tightened his leg around Gavin's hip to bring them even closer, starting to ripple slightly from the pelvis for more feel.

Gavin nearly let out a groan against his lips as he gripped the upper thigh of the android, digging his fingers into that much denser and softer area. The android designers were really psychopaths for being so realistic, but Gavin was far from displeasing it, he even liked it very much.

Beginning to see his biocomponents and his processor starting to overheat, Conrad slowly pulled away from Gavin, his LED yellow. The more stimulation there was, the more he felt the need to relieve this overload of electricity in his body, which programs had difficulty dealing with along with everything else.

" _Gavin…_ " He kissed him again, leaning against him. " _I ... I need more ... please ..."_

Gavin wasn’t going to be prayed for, for he too was in dire need of further action.

He then pushed Conrad onto his back and followed suit, placing himself on top of him, his body still pressed to his, his lips clinging to their twins, gently rippling his hips against Conrad's.

" _Hhhh…_ _G_ _av -hnn ..._ "

Conrad's moans and voice had the ability to drive him crazy. His lips slid over the angle of his jaw to kiss him, then slid his mouth down his neck to nibble lightly on his skin, causing the skin to retract under the contact. Gavin kissed the smooth, supple texture of the frame, slid his tongue against it, and pulled a whine from Conrad, who instinctively tightened his legs around his human's hips, gripping his back with his fingers.

Gavin groaned under the pressure of their pelvis. He couldn't hold it any longer. He straightened up then, letting his fingers run over Conrad's chest, causing a pretty white trail with bluish waves under his touch, taking care to pass over the luminous blue circle where his regulator was.

" _You're_ _driving_ _me crazy ..._ " Gavin said, biting his lip as he looked at the android beneath him.

" _I'm the one who's_ _gonna be_ _crazy_ _if you don't do something quickly._ "

Gavin laughed at Conrad's frustration and the burning look of desire he was giving him. It was a picture he wanted to see as often as possible, he promised himself.

He then pulled back from Conrad's body to grab the elastic from his boxers and remove it. He bit his lip again when he saw his erection and delicately ran his index finger down onto it. Conrad arched under the unexpected touch, his cock throbbing despite himself. He had absolutely no control over it. It was both very pleasant and very frustrating. He glared at the human with the look that had been devouring him for two minutes.

“ _Gavin._ "

The latter nodded, and in turn took off his boxers before leaning back over him, his hands on either side of his head.

Conrad wrapped his arms around his neck to pull and kiss him hard, sliding his tongue against his. Gavin didn't resist any longer before sticking himself against Conrad again, both naked now.

" _Hhhh_ … _fuck_ _..._ "

Gavin bit Conrad's lip as Conrad wrapped his legs around his pelvis, moving for more contact, rubbing their two lengths together.

Conrad felt that his processor was having a hard time handling everything, the overheating and stimulation getting stronger and more intense. If it kept going like that, he would reach the peak in a few seconds. He wanted it badly, it was almost instinctive, but he didn't want to come like that.

Conrad, already breathless, placed a kiss close to Gavin's ear.

_"Gavin, I beg you ..."_

The human straightened up, planted a kiss on the android's lips, and reached over to the nightstand to grab the small tube of lube near the condoms, but Conrad gently grabbed his wrist.

" I do not need it. "

"Uh yeah? But it can hurt me if I go dry actually ..."

"No, I mean, I don't need it because I self-lubricate actually, so you won't get hurt. "

"Oh..."

 _So the androids_ _selves-_ _lubricated_ … Gavin pouted in surprise and seated himself correctly between his android's thighs. He took his own cock between his fingers to guide it to Conrad's entrance and looked up at him. The ice blue gaze pierced him with envy and determination. Gavin even had the impression that Conrad's pupils were dilated. Was it possible? Nothing surprised him anymore.

Gavin sighed as he slipped inside and gripped his thighs, feeling the tightness spur him on.

Conrad caught Gavin's knee under the overflow of sensations and information his processor was analyzing. He planted his head in the pillow, his eyes closed, his lips parted, and the LED flashing yellow.

" Everything is fine.. ?” Gavin asked still worried. It was Conrad's first time, he didn't want to hurt or traumatize him. "Conrad ..? "

"Y-Yes ..." he said finally, opening his eyes again, fixing his gaze on Gavin's gray-blue. "I ... I'm apparently very ... sensitive inside too ..." he said breathlessly, struggling to cool himself down.

"This is good news then ..."

Gavin leaned back on Conrad, pressing his body to his, kissing him more gently as he began to take a slow but full pace. Conrad moaned against his lips, hugging his arms around him to feel him more. He had never felt so good. This closeness, this intimacy, their kisses, this touch… Conrad couldn't get enough. He could feel Gavin's adrenaline pumping through his own body, and longed to merge more with him if that was possible. The skin of his hands receded despite himself, seeking more desperately for contact, running his fingers through his human hair, gripping his hips with his legs. Conrad whispered to him to go harder, and Gavin let himself go more frankly. It wasn't like he was going to hold out for very long.

Still pressed against his body, Gavin stepped up his thrust, slipping a hand under one of Conrad's knees to lift his leg and give him more access, more amplitude.

His heart was pounding in his chest, and Gavin straightened upon his heels to catch some air. The view he had of Conrad was magnificent. The android had bright blue cheeks, his brow furrowed upward, his mouth half-open, also desperately seeking air to cool himself, and the yellow LED pulsating on his temple.

Gavin felt the tight feeling in his lower abdomen increase and his body shaking as his hips slammed against his lover's thighs.

Gavin grabbed Conrad's cock between his fingers to masturbate him faster than his thrusts, causing his partner to gasp in surprise and pleasure. The latter buried his fingers in the sheets, closing his eyes powerfully, the LED dotted with a red tint in the middle of the yellow.

 _"Ga-avin ..."_ Conrad felt so close to the peak. _" Keep going..._ "

_"I wasn’t planning to stop, honey ..."_

Conrad's processor could no longer calculate everything due to the temperature and the overload of information his body was transmitting to it. But he had heard it. He had heard that _honey_ Gavin had just said.

Conrad opened his eyes again and saw Gavin staring at him straight in the eye, cheeks flushed with pleasure and shortness of breath. Conrad reached out his hand, white pristine, to rest it against his partner's cheek.

They might never have said it verbally, but there were plenty of things they had done that had done it for them. Conrad realized that he and Gavin weren't just having sex right now. They were lovemaking, both of them. Every movement was measured, every voluntary touch, their kisses were filled with promise, and the emotions bouncing through them via the transdermal link said more than those three words.

His lips parted and the LED now red, Conrad rolled his eyes, burying his head in the pillow while arching back as the orgasm deliciously overwhelmed him.

His moans echoed through the bedroom, and Gavin bit his lip as he saw him cumming between his fingers, on his stomach, feeling it tighten around his growing member.

Gavin leaned against Conrad to kiss him while accelerating, trembling leaning on his forearms. Conrad wrapped his arms around his neck, promptly sliding his tongue between his lips, sending a surge of adrenaline through his human body.

Gavin suddenly felt himself falling over the edge.

" _Oh, fff_ \- _hmmm ..!_ "

He buried his face into the crook of Conrad's neck, cumming inside him, ravaged by his orgasm. His movements then ceased slowly, shaking, before letting himself fall limply against Conrad, his heart pounding in his chest.

His body was suddenly shaken by a spasm, caused by chills, and Conrad wrapped his arms around his body to hug him.

They were silent for a few seconds, catching their breath for one, and coming out of lags and glitches for the other. Gavin was the first to regain his mind and slowly pulled away to lie on his back next to Conrad.

The latter turned his head towards him, and they smiled at each other. Conrad even let out a small laugh and closed his eyes with a sigh.

"I hope I wasn't too bad for your first time ..." Gavin said with an amused smile on his lips.

“I can't compare,” Conrad replied with a smirk, the LED then turning blue again. "But ... I want to start over ..."

"What now ???” Gavin said shocked and exhausted. But Conrad laughed.

"No... !” He looked at him tenderly. "I meant… later… again… always… with you…"

Gavin couldn't help but blushing and smiling at the same time. He too wanted to start over. He wanted Conrad to be a part of his life. There was no doubt about it.

"I'll have to stop by your bathroom if you don't mind,” Conrad said confused. "Otherwise, I can't eliminate your s-"

"Yeah, I get it.” Gavin laughed too. "I think I need to go to shower anyway. "

"So let's go quickly together ... I have to say that battery is very low ..."

“It’s not my fault if I couldn’t hold back. You're too cute, and the fact that I know you are mine now, it adds a layer."

Conrad started to turn blue slowly but smiled softly.

"And I'm glad to be yours, Gavin ..."

They looked at each other lovingly, then kissed just on the surface, but passionately. They exchanged a smile again.

Gavin loved Conrad. It was certain. And he wasn't going to let him go. Fortunately for him, Conrad had the same plan in mind.


	23. Gone Missing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As things seem to be slowly getting back to normal between Gavin and Conrad, Hank arrives at the police station in a panic: Connor has been kidnapped by 1K. Conrad and Gavin, therefore, go to search for the RK800, investigating the location of the kidnapping, hoping to arrive in time to save him.

Conrad was leaning against the table in the break room, eyes narrowed, fingers resting on his lips in deep thought. Gavin, right in front of him, was watching him puzzled, waiting for an answer, his Grumpy Cat mug between his fingers.

" So ? "

"Hmm ..."

"I'm sure you won't guess it," Gavin said to provoke him. "The other scars were easy enough to guess, but this one you'll never find out. Even if you are supposedly the best android."

" I am the best. "

"Yeah, 1K would have guessed it already. "

Conrad glared at Gavin. If the detective didn't know that in reality, Conrad was gentle as a lamb, he would have been afraid for his life right now. But instead, he smiled, defiantly.

"An appendicitis attack. "

"Shit.. !" Gavin cursed as he slammed his mug on the table. " How did you know ?! "

"I am the best android," Conrad replied with a smirk.

Gavin laughed but Tina entered the room at that moment, forcing him suddenly to stop and regain his seriousness.

The young woman gave him a confused look before arching a brow but Gavin ignored her, suddenly focusing on his coffee.

Tina walked over to them after pouring herself a decaf and leaned on the small table.

"Okay. I need to know something." She said, turning her head to Conrad then to Gavin. " Since when? "

" What ?" Gavin asked, feigning innocence.

"No shit with me Gav." She gave him an annoyed look, then turned to Conrad. "You'll tell me the truth, won't you? "

" About what ?" Conrad asked, still puzzled although he already had his little idea of the matter.

"About you two. Your relationship. "

"We can work without fighting, which is already an improvement," Gavin said, leaning nonchalantly on the table.

"I am not talking to you anymore." She said, turning to him and sticking her tongue out. She faced Conrad again. "So ?"

"March 30th. "

Tina's scream echoed throughout the station, startling Gavin and even Conrad. Some heads shot up in the open space, looking for the source of the noise. The officers shook their heads, others rolled their eyes as they realized it was Tina with Gavin. Nothing surprising.

 _"Shut up !"_ Gavin clenched teeth, punching Tina on the shoulder. " _You're going to lure Fowler out of his aquarium!_ "

But Tina was too excited, her smile stretched out to her ears. Luckily she had poured herself a decaf, Conrad thought, but he couldn't help but smile back, his friend's euphoria was very contagious. He, too, was proud he had won Gavin's heart, and that they had the courage to make the move.

"Wait, you said the 30th?" She said, coming back to reality. "It was a month after the night we hang out Conrad, right? "

"Indeed," the android smirked. "It ... took a little while, but ... it gave me ... the courage to start things ..."

"What the hell did you tell him, Tina, hm?" Gavin asked, still glancing around for fear of seeing Fowler coming.

"Oh… that you loved him too. "

Gavin's jaw opened in surprise, or rather in shock at his best friend's betrayal. He had told her this secret and she had told it to the concerned one.

"Hey, no moral okay?" She said, lecturing him with her index finger. "If I hadn't told Conrad, you'd probably still be beating around the bush. You know how frustrating that is, uh?"

"Oh, I know, yes," Conrad commented, a sympathetic smile.

"Okay okay! I won't say anything ! "

Gavin showed up his hands in surrender, not wanting to piss off Tina any further, nor to get everyone's attention. Tina now knew besides Connor, but he didn't want everyone to know. If Fowler found out, who knows what he would decide to do with their partnership. He could probably force them to change partner, or worse, send Conrad to another station.

Sure, he would see him again at home at night, but Gavin had grown used to see him every day, to work with him. And he had to admit they both made a good team. They were in a relationship for two weeks now, and even professionally, Gavin couldn't see himself without Conrad.

"I was sure you were both hiding something ..!" Tina said, pinching Gavin's cheek, which freed himself as it gently massaged the sore skin.

"We're not going to strut in front of everyone here Tina, think about it for two seconds ..! "

"Yes, yes, I know," she said, brushing the air with one hand. "But you could have told me about it !" She turned to Conrad. "I fixed it up for you and that's how you thank me? "

"I didn't mean to put pressure on Gavin. "

Tina Turned to the concerned man and looked at him with wide shining eyes.

"Aah… you two are too lovely for my poor little heart. "

"Conrad! "

Conrad turned his head towards the break room entrance along with Tina and Gavin. Hank looked at him terrified. At that time, 10:16 pm precisely, Hank wasn't supposed to be here but at home with Connor. Especially since they had been on a day off today.

Conrad approached him, confused and worried.

"Lieutenant? What's hap- "

And that's when he noticed it. The dried thirium on his zebra shirt and black jeans. Within a second, the scan activated on its own to see if Anderson was possibly injured anywhere, but nothing appeared in his scans.

Conrad grabbed him by the shoulders, worried.

"What happened Lieutenant? "

"He took him ..! "He said with trembling hands, his eyes fixed with terror in the androids. " He knew where to find us ..! I thought he was my neighbor but he took him !" He said clinging tightly to Conrad.

"Calm down Hank ..!" Gavin said as he approached them, grabbing the lieutenant by the arm to let him go. " What are you talking about? Who are you talking about? What happened? "

"That fucking android kidnapped Connor! "

Conrad's LED spun yellow, processing the violent information that had just metaphorically twisted the cables in his abdomen.

Connor had been kidnapped.

The android.

" _Have you seen the RK1000 ..?_ " Conrad asked, eyes wide, drifting to the side, lost in the flood of emotions that were beginning to overwhelm him.

"I'm sure it was that bastard, but he looked like my neighbor! He approached us with a strange gait, and he had those sunglasses on too! But he knocked me out the asshole! I didn't see much for a few seconds, but Connor got attacked! It's been thirty minutes or less since I woke up and Connor wasn't there! There was thirium everywhere! And I don't know where Connor is! We must quick- "

"Calm down Hank!" Gavin said shaking him lightly. "You have to take a couple of minutes to calmly explain to us what happened, and in detail, in which case, we can't find Connor, okay?" Hank nodded, trying to catch his breath and calm his tremors. "Okay, we're going to my desk. The quicker that is done, the quicker we can get there to see exactly what happened, okay?" Hank nodded. "We're gonna find Connor, I promise."

Gavin guided Hank by the forearm to his workspace. Tina followed them and Conrad, and the young woman pulled up a chair so the lieutenant could take a seat. She stayed close to him anyway, as Gavin and Conrad sat down at their desks, ready to listen to Hank.

"From the beginning," Gavin said as he opened a document on his terminal. "Where were you when this happened? "

"Connor and I were coming home from the aquarium. There was a nighttime show, and God knows how Connor loves fishes ... "

"Okay ..." Gavin tapped the holographic keyboard, a surprised pout. He had no idea that the RK800 had a fondness for fish. "Then? "

"We parked in front of my house around… 9:30 pm something like that, I know the show ended at 9:00 pm and it took about half an hour to get back. We got out of the car, and I saw… " He paused, breathing to keep his cool. Tina put a hand on his shoulder to reassure him. "Axl, my neighbor. He is in his thirties. I see him jogging from time to time in the morning on my way to work. But there ... he was coming towards us, and I don't know, I thought he needed something, well he's my neighbor, I suspected nothing ..! "

"You mentioned he was wearing sunglasses. At this time, even in late April, it is weird. Were there any other sartorial details that stood out? Or an Android feature? "

"I knew it wasn't him when he walked by. Axl has lived next door for five years, and although I am busy, I noticed that it wasn't natural. Though I work with Connor every day, I see you too Conrad, and I know what kind of walk an android has."

"Okay, what happened next?" Gavin asked as he turned to Hank.

"Axl, well the android, had raised his hand to me. At first, I thought he wanted us to shake hands, but it got higher and fell in my face. I was stunned for a few seconds, and I fell to the ground. I think I hit my head more in the crash, but I could hear what was happening. "

" What ?" Conrad asked, leaning forward on his knees, his LED still yellow.

"Connor called me to see if I was okay, but I heard mayhem right after. Connor struggled and struggled, that was clearly obvious. I heard crackles like something's broken or crushed, and… " He clenched his fists. "Connor was in pain I'm fucking sure ..! "

"Stay focused Hank .." Gavin pursed his lips, resenting the thought that Connor could have been damaged and in pain. " Keep going... "

"I opened my eyes and saw Axl's silhouette hunched over Connor's on the ground. Axl had… like a gleam in his eyes, but literally…! Like little beams of light in the middle of each eye ..! "

Conrad narrowed his eyes. It was the RK1000, without a doubt. In the zen garden, 1K already had a fairly defined and specific visual interface. He clearly remembered that the pupils of the RK100 were not black but two bright spots. He didn't know any other android or models having this feature. Even though 1K looked like this Axl, he might have been hiding his identity and credentials with a M.I.M.I.C.

If he did have one, then it'll be difficult to find and identify him. The only thing that couldn't change will be his eyes.

"I was kicked in the head after that, and when I woke up I wanted to call but my phone was broken on the floor, so I jumped in the car to come here. "

"Alright," Gavin said as he finished typing and then stood up. "Conrad, we're going to Hank's address to inspect the scene." Conrad stood up, grabbing his jacket. "Tina, stay with Hank and call an ambulance for him."

" An ambulance? I'm coming with you! I have to find Connor! "

"Hey ..!" Gavin groaned, pointing at him. "Let me tell you that you were punched in the face twice and you hit your head. Maybe you have a head injury or I don't know ..! You go to the hospital, understood? Conrad and I take care of Connor. You're too close to him to think rationally, Hank. And those are the times when you take risks and fuck everything up, so Tina changes your plan, you drive the cranky old man to the ER, or he'll run away right there. "

"Come on Hank," Tina said gently, and Hank couldn't be rude to the young woman who had always been gentle with him.

"Ok ok ..." He sighed and stood up. "I follow you, Christina ..."

Gavin nodded his thanks to his best friend and turned to Conrad, who was ready to leave.

"Try to stay focused and professional. Okay ? "

" Okay. "

"Great, let's go. "

Without further ado, they left the station and went into the Dodge towards Anderson's home.

Gavin parked the car on the sidewalk opposite the house. No sooner was the engine shut off than Conrad was already outside, slamming the door and striding towards the house, having already scanned the area for the exact location of the altercation.

"Fuck sake." Gavin gritted his teeth as he removed his seat belt and got out of the car. "Hey ..! Wait for me.. ! "

He slammed the door and crossed the street to join Conrad, who had stopped not far from the driveway to the garage. He was standing there, standing still, his eyes riveted on the ground.

"Conrad? "

Gavin came up to him and stared at the ground, intrigued by what the android was staring at. He saw a small puddle of blue blood and splashes all over the place.

"Shit ..." he said, crouching down to take a closer look. "How do we know if it's Connor or 1K who was injured? "

Conrad, the yellow LED, crouched down and ran his two fingers through the liquid before briefly running them on the tip of his tongue. Gavin watched him do, a confused yet disgusted look on his face.

"You don't kiss me after what you just did, I warn you."

Conrad's LED turned red after analyzing the thirium sample and glanced at the detective.

"There are two types of thirium. Connor's, and… an RK900. "

"An RK900?" Gavin said with a raised eyebrow. "But you're the only RK900 aren't you? Isn't 1K an RK1000? "

"His AI might be a 1000 but…" Conrad stood up, scanning the area. "There is no RK1000 body. Maybe Stern made his from an RK900 model, combined with other models so he could create an improved version of myself. It could therefore only work with thirium suitable for the needs of an RK900. "

"But Kamski said there was only one RK900 missing, and that was you? "

"Kamski said the other nineteen RK900s were destroyed after the revolution. That's how they saw my disappearance. Only ... the remains and spare parts of the other RK900s must have ended up in the junkyard ... "

"Wait ... you're saying that… Stern went to the junkyard to collect parts of the other RK900s destroyed to create the RK1000?" Conrad nodded. "Damn ... This 1K is Frankenstein's monster ..."

Conrad looked at the amount of thirium on the floor. There were far too many, and the majority came from the RK800. An android couldn't lose blood so much from simple injuries. Vital bio-components had to be damaged to give so much blood. He looked up, analyzed the splashes, and the directions.

His reconstruction software kicked in, drawing two low-poly figures, one on the back in blue color, and the other, yellow, on all fours above him. He saw the yellow figure hitting the blue one in a wide and violent gesture, keeping the android plastered to the ground. The blue began to struggle seriously, trying to push the yellow aside, but the yellow figure had the upper hand, and he managed to reach what he guessed to be the blue's regulator, pulling it away, sending thirium splashes all over the place. The yellow then seemed to throw the object to the right.

The reconstruction stopped then, and Conrad turned his head to the right, taking a few steps, the LED still red.

"Conrad ..?" Gavin said worried to see his android so silent and the red LED on his temple. "Hey ..? "

Conrad stopped near the fence, crouching down to look out into the grass. He grabbed a crushed metal object between his fingers.

||… ANALYSIS IN PROGRESS …||

 ***** BIO-COMPONENT **# 8451**

 ***** STATE: **OUT OF SERVICE**

 ***** COMPATIBLE MODELS: **RK800 / RK900.**

Conrad straightened up, the regulator crushed between his fingers, the LED smashing his temple still with that alarming color. Gavin, who had joined him, looked at the object the android was holding, then looked at him, questioning him with his gaze.

" What is that.. ? "

"Connor's regulator…"

Gavin frowned, then remembered that famous night at his home on his couch when he had silently questioned Conrad about the luminous blue circle in his sternum.

He had told him it was his regulator, which kept him alive.

Gavin inhaled, making all the connections in his head, and looked at Conrad concerned.

"Oh, f-fuck... Does that mean..? "

" I don't think so," Conrad said, looking up at the poles and lampposts, searching for something. "If 1K had wanted to kill him, he would have done it, and Connor's body would still be here."

"Okay, but how could he be alive without this thing?" Gavin asked feeling the panic rise. "If he kidnapped Connor, he's got something in mind but what? "

"To have me. "

"To have you? I don't ge- "

Conrad didn't wait for the end of the sentence and resumed his walk towards the middle of the road, his eyes riveted on a pole, a spherical camera hanging from its tip.

Gavin joined him, crossing his arms.

"Conrad, talk to me ..!" He said annoyed. "I'm as stressed out as you are, but with your red LED and your overly preoccupied look, that scares me now ..! "

"There's a camera," Conrad said, pointing to the security device. "I can hack it to see what it has recorded the incident. "

"Wait, we have to ask permission from the city to do this legally Conrad."

Conrad finally turned to Gavin, staring his steel-blue eyes into the human's, taking a step towards him, the LED still red.

Gavin felt his jaw tighten as well as his throat as he felt his stomach sink deep inside him. Conrad had never looked at him like that. He scared him.

"Gavin. We don't have time to go and ask anyone for permission. This is Connor. If we don't act quickly, it will probably be too late. It may even already be. "

"I-I understand ..! But you're losing your temper, and being impulsive, thoughtless, isn't gonna do any good, okay?" Gavin said, standing up to him, taking a step towards the android. "If Connor deactivates without his regulator, we just have to put a new one on and activate him back, right? "

"No, it doesn't work like that. This corrupts the memory and damages the bio-components which will be underfed with thirium and which will overheat." Conrad said, trying to keep his cool. "It wouldn't matter if the android wasn't deviant. Because a deactivated deviant cannot be reactivated with his previous memory. He will have to be restored to factory condition, of non-deviancy. In other words, he will be dead. "

Gavin looked down, his throat tight and his eyes burning. He didn't want Hank to be in pain anymore, and he just didn't fucking want that damn android to actually die ..!

He looked up, his eyes teary, and planted his index finger in the chest of his android. His voice broke despite himself.

"Do what you have to do, Robocop ..." he stretched a poor smile. "We have to go save that asshole. "

Conrad nodded, and turned to the camera, narrowing his eyes as he started to hack it. The image then opened in a window in his HUD. He sped up the video until 9:24 pm when he saw the lieutenant's car pull up in the driveway of his garage.

"You hacked it.. ?" Gavin asked, worried to see Conrad with that distant gaze.

" Yes. Anderson and Connor parked in the driveway… "he said, describing the images that came to life in his HUD. "Connor got out first, followed by five seconds by the lieutenant. A person has just stepped out from behind a car parked across the road. They were waiting for them and is now heading towards them. "

Gavin looked around, imagining Conrad's descriptions playing out on the field. He was looking at the car parked in front of his on the other side of the road. He then approached the latter, hoping to find something to prove that someone had been waiting here. But nothing. If it was indeed 1K, androids could wait hours and hours without doing anything.

"Anderson waves to the person who is now within five meters of them." Conrad zoomed in on the video, clarifying the image and analyzing the person's face. "Despite the sunglasses, I can identify him. This is Axl Nilsen. "

Gavin walked over to the mailbox next to the car and could read Nilsen on the little plate. The detective looked up at the house. The lights were out, but at this time of day, it wasn't surprising, especially in the middle of the week.

"Conrad? Do you think we should question this Nilsen? "

"Unnecessary," Conrad said coming up behind him. "I'm sure the person the camera has captured is an android and not a human. "

" A proof ?" Gavin asked, turning to him, crossing his arms.

Conrad opened his hand, palm up, revealing a hologram image. Gavin stared at the android for a moment, amazed he was able to do something like this.

"You are actually Iron Man ..! "

"Look at the eyes. "

Gavin refocused on the photo Conrad was showing him. It was more than just a screenshot, it was the video itself.

Connor found himself lying on his back in the middle of the road, struggling to straighten up, one hand pressed to what appeared to be a hole in the middle of his chest, the shirt torn. Gavin couldn't bear to see Connor in this condition and focused on the figure that had risen next to him, approaching Hank who was starting to come back to reality. His foot crashed into his face, and the person lifted his head briefly, making sure no one had seen him or was looking for something. Two bright spots at eye level had been recorded by the camera, greatly resembling those of a cat in the middle of the night.

"Do androids have eyes that glow like this?" Gavin asked troubled, not remembering ever having been confronted with this phenomenon.

"No, but 1K yes. His AI already had this characteristic. Why I don't know, but I don't know of any other androids with those eyes otherwise. No human either. "

"Okay, so the sunglasses were there for that. "

He saw 1K approaching an object on the floor, picking it up and placing it before his face. It was the sunglasses. He had turned to Connor, crouched down to grab him, and pulled him by the arm to get him up. The RK800 had struggled to stand on his own feet, the countdown probably nearing the end, but he still tried to push the other android away. 1K grabbed him tightly, shaking him, certainly speaking to him given the concentrated expression on Connor's face. He saw his predecessor shake his head from side to side, fear widely visible in his behavior. The RK1000 clapped his hand to Connor's neck, holding it firmly between his fingers. Connor's body suddenly jerked, eyes rolling back at lightning speed before dropping to his knees, motionless.

"An electromagnetic pulse ..." Conrad said, his eyes riveted on his own hand. "He temporarily disconnected him ..."

"Fucking asshole ..! "

The RK1000 took out of his jacket pocket what appeared to be another regulator, and placed it in the cavity in Connor's chest.

Conrad was unable to tell if the regulator had been put back on time, but he was convinced that 1K wanted to keep Connor alive and that this whole show was calculated down to the millisecond. He saw the android grab the RK800 over his shoulder as if it weighed absolutely nothing and walked around the corner before disappearing around the corner, out of view of the camera.

" Shit .. !" Conrad said, speeding up the video in hopes of seeing something again but nothing. He closed his hand, turning off the hologram. "I must go and see over there. "

Gavin nodded and followed Conrad running, who had taken off like a racing car. The detective came around the corner breathless and looked at Conrad who had just found another camera a few houses down the road.

He hacked into it right away, speeding up the video to the moment that interested him.

"He put him in a van." the android said staring into the void, focused on his HUD. "And I have a license plate. "

"We finally have something ..! "

"The van belongs to a certain Samuel Brown," Conrad said, going through the list of vehicles surveyed. "He owns a bar night club called the-"

Conrad froze.

"The Ground Zero …"


	24. The Basement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin and Conrad arrive at Ground Zero and quietly begin to investigate. As they spot 1K then Stern, the two detectives follow them to their basement hideout to take them by surprise. Only, they didn't expect to find Connor like this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter of my delay! So from now on, I'll post every Saturday! There are 6 chapters left before the end of this fanfic, and I STILL have to write that bonus chapter duh... Thanks again for your reading, your kudos, and your comments! I love you all so much !! <3

At this time of the night, the music was already resonating within the walls of The Ground Zero. People were drinking and dancing, some even seemed to be in a trance because of alcohol and bass bouncing around the bar. Both humans and androids let off steam, laugh, and even flirt more or less openly. A DJ was there to liven up the party of Friday night, rocking the walls in remixes of Techno, Electro, Dub-Step, and House.

Conrad was suddenly cut off in his analysis, jostled as he entered the hallway of the club by a group of euphoric young women heading for the exit to get some fresh air. Gavin, who was right behind him, cursed at them, who obviously didn't care. He turned to android.

" You okay ?" Gavin asked, raising his voice so the android could hear him.

"It takes a lot more to break me ..!" The Android smirked, gazing down at the human.

" What ?" Gavin moved closer to him, cupping his ears.

"Nothing, I'm fine don't worry ..! Let's stay focused ..! "

Conrad looked up at the crowd of people gathered in this small place. Well, everything was relative. The club was quite large actually, but there were so many people crowded together that it was difficult to move around as the crowd was almost compact.

As the android started to force his way, Gavin grabbed his wrist to make sure he didn't lose sight of him and could follow him. If Connor was indeed here with 1K, and his kidnapping was meant to entice Conrad, then Gavin would have to stay close to him. There was no way anything would happen to him. Not under his watch.

They both managed to move away from the entrance, into a corner of the club, near the vantablack armchairs. There were fewer people around here, and Gavin could finally breathe.

"I can't stand the crowd," Gavin said, crossing his arms over his chest as if to shield himself from the rest of the people.

"I understand you," Conrad said, scanning the room from their new vantage point. "My facial recognition software automatically activates when I see a new face. You guess I don't know anyone here but you, and my memory is overloading, not to mention the annoying windows that keep popping up whenever my eyes fall on someone. "

"So you can't stand the crowd either." Conrad shook his head from side to side. "Sit down for two minutes, I'll watch what happens. I don't want you to blow a fuse or something." He looked at Conrad who was looking at him with a smirk. "What? It would cost too much to repair you ..! "

"You just don't want to say you actually do care about me, right ?"

Conrad was smiling and Gavin rolled his eyes, a smirk, before slowly pushing him with one hand to sit him down on one of the chairs. The android let him do, obviously feeling the need to take his eyes off the crowd of faces.

Gavin, knowing full well that he wouldn't do any better than Conrad's software, focused as best he could on the faces that turned to him, looking for features similar to Connor's, or perhaps Stern himself even. He tried to spot suspicious behavior, focusing on people close to the entrances and exits of the place. But nothing seemed to indicate that something fishy was going on here.

They had spotted the van behind the bar before entering it, though, and Conrad had confirmed through his virtual reconstruction software that 1K and Connor were indeed in The Ground Zero.

Gavin narrowed his eyes as he noticed a person making their way through the crowd on the dance floor. One would have thought that this man was trying to reach the bar at the back of the room, but the looks he was casting over his shoulder were suspicious. Especially since this person was wearing sunglasses.

Conrad received a small slap on his knee and promptly looked up, seeing Gavin staring into the crowd, a worried and focused look on his face. Conrad got up then but was immediately pushed back to be seated. The android frowned and glanced at Gavin.

"I think I just spotted 1K," Gavin said gaze following the non-deviant. "He was looking in our direction, he would have seen you stand up and it would have been over. Luckily you left your jacket in the car. With all these white and neon lights, you would have been a beacon in the middle of the night. "

Gavin meticulously watched the android walking over to the bar, leaning over the vantablack counter to speak directly to one of the waiters. They exchanged a few words and the human held out a bag of blue liquid, which Gavin deduced it to be thirium. The android pushed off from the counter, stuffing the pouch inside his jacket, and made his way back to the back of the room again.

"Come on. "

Gavin grabbed Conrad's hand to hold him up and the android followed him through the crowd, looking for 1K. Being a little taller than most of the people around him, Conrad noticed the individual a little further in front of them, disappearing into a back room. Gavin quickened his pace, pulling the android into his wake, refusing to let go.

Arriving near the doorframe, Conrad nimbly pulled himself up in front of Gavin, reversing their positions. Conrad couldn't take the risk of exposing the human to possible danger. Conrad could always get fixed, and he couldn't stand the thought of Gavin getting hurt. Gavin was, and always will be, his main mission.

With his back pressed against the wall, Conrad gently poked his head to look and scan the area.

But Gavin, facing the great hall, froze when he saw someone stepping in their direction. A black-skinned man, looking the same as Stern. He then hurriedly grabbed Conrad's hand and shook it to get his attention, not knowing what to do at the moment. Stern hadn't seen them yet, but he was heading straight for them, probably to where 1K had gone.

Conrad looked at Gavin who seemed to be panicking, and quickly looked up at what seemed to be on his mind. And there, Conrad froze.

He couldn't see his face.

He only saw a cluster of pixels censoring him.

" Who.. ?" Conrad said confused. " Who is it.. ? "

But he got no response. Instead, he was suddenly pulled by the collar of his black shirt, forcing him to bow forward. Suddenly, Gavin's lips came crashing into his, wrapping his arms around his neck to pull him more firmly against him.

Surprise caught him off guard, Conrad didn't immediately respond to the kiss, then finally understood what was going on. He moved more frankly in front of Gavin, wedging him against the wall, and turning his back to the crowd. His arms wrapped around his body, responding to the kiss that was getting wetter and more frenzied. Their lips slid against each other, fighting for dominance, but Gavin gave up this little game when he felt the android's tongue slide into his mouth, sending him an electric shock directly in his crotch.

He didn't think the android would respond so fervently. He was in the middle of a rescue mission with now an unexpected boner.

They pulled apart to catch their breath, and Gavin looked up at Conrad's, who glinted with mischief.

"You, I swear to God that you'll not sleep tonight. "

It sounded more like a promise than a threat, and the idea didn't bother Conrad, on the contrary, he was even very interested.

But they both knew this kiss wasn't a translation of their relationship, although Gavin would have liked their first kiss being like that, he wouldn't have said no, but it was just a cover right now. When people kiss in public, people around don't dare to look, and even avoid meeting eyes. And it had worked out perfectly with Stern, who had passed them by ignoring them completely, having mistaken them for a couple almost jumping each other in the bar tonight.

"Well, I can't wait to see what you planned for me, detective .."

Conrad's tone and smirk sent a second shot of blood to his crotch, and he slowly pushed the android back by the shoulders. They had to refocus on the situation.

Conrad then detached himself from Gavin, simulating Stern's path through his virtual reconstruction software. Indeed, the human had taken the same route as 1K. With no more threat insight, Conrad leaned down from the corner of the wall again to look down the hall. There were the men's bathroom doors on the left and the women's doors on the right. At the back, another door, with a metal plate where he could read _STAFF ONLY_ on it.

Conrad glanced at Gavin, and they both entered the hallway.

"Do you remember the picture Tina showed you three months ago on her phone? "

"Tina is showing me a lot of stuff on her phone honey. "

"I'm talking about the photo of this African-American type person."

And there, the image came back to the human head. Of course, he remembered it, it was even the day after that famous night, and Gavin hadn't been more interested in the photo than that. He just remembered that neither Conrad nor Connor seemed to be able to see him without being pixelated. By doing some research, Tina couldn't find anything on this person, not even a name.

Conrad initially thought the individual was carrying a device to censor his identity, but it was more complex than that. It was a line of anti-tracking code that had slipped into private and public databases, so that no androids could identify the individual, even by photo, and which had erased his personal data in the eyes of the authorities.

And now it all seemed to make sense. This person was Michael Stern. And if Gavin remembered correctly, Conrad had met him right here three months earlier.

"It was Stern ..! From the beginning everything was happening here .. ? "

Conrad moved his index finger up to his lips to tell him to be quiet, and Gavin nodded, again focused. They had to be careful now that they were so close to the goal. Stern, 1K, and Connor were right away, and they needed to act quickly for the RK800 safety.

Gavin then grabbed his revolver from his holster, hidden inside his jacket. He gave the signal to Conrad and Conrad opened the door. At least tried. It was locked.

"Obviously." Conrad rolled his eyes. "I'll be quick."

The good thing about being an android, and living in the 35/40s, was that locks were now almost all electronic, and therefore easily hackable. Especially for the RK900 which was at the high verge of technology.

He put his hand on the lock where a magnetic key was supposed to go, retracted his skin, and the door unlocked with a click.

He glanced proudly at his human, who rolled his eyes at him but still smiled amused. _How pretentious this android_ _could be_ , he thought.

Conrad finally opened the door and a long staircase was going down in front of them, sinking into darkness. However, a faint glow was lighting in the background, which they could not identify. Conrad's LED spun yellow, analyzing the situation, simulating any events that might occur.

He went down first, silently, despite the ambient sound of music passing between the walls. Gavin followed him, the gun pointed over Conrad's shoulder, ready to react if anything happened. On tiptoe, the two detectives hoped that the steps, which were made of wood, would not creak under their weight. Although the music was audible from here, the sounds were more muffled, and a crackle could attract the attention of those in the room.

When the field of vision cleared a little, Conrad and Gavin could identify the place as a large basement, containing many shelves, cases of liquor bottles here and there, empty beer barrels piled up in one corner of the room, others lined up near a freight elevator just next to the stairs. There were also chairs on top of each other, stools, tables… Nothing suspicious for a bar at the moment. But the two detectives walked cautiously into the room, Conrad analyzing every nook so as not to be caught and put Gavin in danger.

The basement was completely dark, except for that glow that came from the back of the room, from another one. Conrad already knew this light was coming from a computer, and when they were both close enough to the entrance, they both froze at hearing voices.

"Yet I told you not to hurt him." Growled the deep voice of a man, who seemed to be strumming something on a keyboard. "He's lost way too much thirium, he's going to take at least an hour for him to be functional again. "

"I wasn't planning on damaging him," a voice sounded like Conrad's. "But Connor struggled, and I had to neutralize him. "

"It doesn't matter." The man sighed. "He's still functional, that's the most important, but he won't be of any use to us at this time other than baiting the other RK. "

"Conrad is investigating right now. "

" Great! Because of your inability to handle the RK800, we're going to have the 900 on our heels soon. Well done Cain."

Conrad narrowed his eyes. The RK100 had a name. _Cain_. But what intrigued him was the fact that no worry seemed to touch the android. Then Conrad remembered that Cain wasn't deviant and probably had this machine setting as default.

Conrad felt more relieved to hear that Connor was still alive, probably in stasis by the time his thirium level was back to normal. He turned to Gavin who was watching him. They had to do something.

"Go do a patrol and make sure the RK900 doesn't come too close to the bar. I wouldn't have cared if you hadn't half-killed the RK800. "

"Why do you want to keep Connor alive?"

There was a silence, and Conrad could almost hear the human heart in the other room speed up.

"Why the fuck are you asking? You're a machine. Do what I asked you to do. "

"Yes, Michael. "

And there, panic suddenly seized the two detectives. Conrad was the faster of the two when he heard Cain's footsteps coming towards them. He grabbed Gavin by the shoulders and pulled him up to hide with him behind a shelf a couple of feet away.

Cain then walked through the doorway, and stopped, looking precisely where Conrad and Gavin had been seconds earlier. He wasn't wearing a LED, but Conrad could see he was thinking.

He knew they were here.

"And turn off the M.I.M.I.C ..!" Stern's voice came from behind him. "If he knows you look like this, he'll recognize you right away. "

Cain removed his sunglasses, scanning the room with his bright pupils. He narrowed his eyes, then lifted a hand to the back of his ear, deactivating Axl Nilsen's appearance in a bluish wave. Still dressed in these dark clothes, the contrast was striking.

Cain was as white as porcelain, his hair, his skin, even his lips. He looked like an albino who had frozen in the dead of winter. But despite this icy appearance, Gavin had been able to recognize features similar to those of Connor and Conrad.

The RK1000 resumed his walk, climbing the stairs and leaving the basement.

Gavin wanted to move but Conrad stopped him. The human gave him a fiery look of anger. It was the perfect time to act. Stern was human and they could handle him more than enough if things got a bit tricky. Without the RK1000 around, they had their chances. Only Conrad didn't want to expose Gavin. And the detective was starting to get seriously fed up with the android smoldering him so much.

Gavin still kept his gun close, and let Conrad walk towards the entrance. He walked through the door, made sure Stern was facing his back, and let Gavin walk past him. Conrad positioned himself to block the way. He immediately spotted Connor sitting in a chair, pipes filled with blue liquid going through his mouth, and the cavity where a regulator should be. A cable seemed to run from the back of his neck to the computer.

" DPD! Hands where I can see them! "

Gavin pointed his gun at Stern who jumped suddenly and turned in panic.

"Fuck what? "

Stern attempted a feint as he headed for the exit, but Gavin tripped him up and the human sprawled out onto the floor. Gavin positioned himself on top of him, grabbing his wrists and tucking them behind his back to handcuff him while saying his miranda.

Conrad then approached Connor to see his condition, while contacting the DPD for backup, the LED circling yellow.

Connor was in stasis, but something was wrong. He couldn't connect to him telepathically.

Conrad looked up at the computer and saw a red progress showing 65%.

RESET IN PROGRESS ...

Conrad's eyes widened as he realized what was going on. He hastily ripped the cable from the computer, cutting off the reset, but he wasn't sure if that would avoid the damage.

"Connor !" Conrad said, shaking him by the shoulders. "Connor wake up! "

Gavin looked up, worried by the tone of distress suddenly used by his android, and froze as he understood the gravity of the situation. Connor did not respond, and a message, displayed on the screen, appeared: Reset interrupted.

"Fuck ..." Gavin said as he slowly stood up from Stern, his feet on either side of his body, his eyes on Connor. "Don't tell me that-"

But Stern jerked his hips to lie on his back and lifted both legs to give a hard kick with both feet together in Gavin's stomach to throw him on the ground, flat on his back.

Conrad quickly turned to intercept Stern who had managed to get up and was starting to run away, but the android stopped in his tracks, turning to face Gavin who was still lying on the ground, unconscious. Conrad scanned him as he fell to his knees beside him, hands hovering over his face, panic creeping into his system as he realized he had hit his head in the fall.

" _G-Gavin ..!_ "

Conrad's LED turned red, smashing his temple in terror and anger. Numerous warning messages opened in his sight, announcing the overheating, the inconsistency of his emotions, and his artificial tears that threatened to fall.

He clenched his fists and closed his eyes to focus. He breathed in and out a few breaths to cool himself down, then opened his eyes again. Gavin was unconscious. Okay.

Conrad inhaled. He had hit his head as he fell from his height. Okay.

He expired. He scanned his partner again but saw no signs of a fractured skull or internal bleeding. It wasn't that bad. It was just a concussion that had caused unconsciousness.

Conrad gently ran his hands, trembling from the high surge of thirium in his veins, over the detective's cheeks. He called an ambulance anyway.

"It's all right Gavin, I'm here... The backup will arr- "

His vision went black momentarily as a message appeared in red notifying him of a heavy blow to the back of his head, which his nervous system rushed to give him.

Conrad groaned in pain as he stood up with difficulty, his vision finally returning, first in black and white, then in color.

He stood up and turned to his assailant who was none other than the RK1000. The android smirked, a metal pipe in his hands, and scrambled in the opposite direction to flee.

Conrad felt his thirium pulsating through his veins, and sprang in pursuit, running into the basement, up the stairs three by three, along the corridor like a racing car, and pushing people in the room in the RK1000 path, who brutally opened the club's doors further, and which slammed right after his way by the violence of the act.

Conrad kicked open the doors, don't minding if anyone was behind.

The rain was pouring down the streets, preventing him from spotting the other android's tracks, but Conrad spotted Cain's snowy hair a few yards down an alley, and he sprinted in his direction, already drenched by heavy rain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You'll... really hate me in the next chapter... like... really really really.


	25. Heavy Rain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Conrad, soaked by the rain, run after Cain on the rooftops, and ends up intercepting him. A violent clash ensues between the two androids, each struggling to gain the upper hand and neutralize the other. Gavin, who has managed to awake and find Conrad, tries to help him up there but finds himself, in the motion, thrown into the void by Cain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Description of human and android injuries, fight scene and violence, description of a panic attack and grief, death of the main character.  
> (Yes yes, you read well. If you know the scene of Gwen Stacy's death in The Amazing SpiderMan 2, well it's kind of based on those feelings. I admit I cried while writing this chapter. )

The rain had soaked his clothes, making his moves more difficult, putting more weight on his body. He barely stopped at the emergency stairs Cain had just taken, sliding across the wet gravel floor. Conrad grabbed the metal bars of the stairs and scrambled up the steps despite the risk of slipping and falling over. He climbed the steps four by four, the breath burning, the result of this frantic race in the street. His bio-components were overheating, and the rain wasn't helping him at all. But he had to catch Cain.

He looked up briefly and saw the other android disappearing from the top of the stairs onto the roof. Conrad kept going his ascent, almost falling over at the last platform. He eventually reached the building's roof anyway, and stopped briefly, chest heaving under his erratic breath, to scan the area. He couldn't see Cain, and the rain blurred his tracks. Conrad then cautiously stepped onto the roof, waving his hair back from his face.

"I know you're there Cain ..!" Conrad cried, his eyes watching for the slightest movement. "You wanted me, so here I am ..! Show yourself.. ! "

Conrad whirled around when he heard footsteps slamming through the puddles and raised his arm just in time to stop the metal pipe that had just fallen on him. Warning errors appeared alerting some damages to his arm.

Cain's glowing eyes met his, and Conrad shoved his sideways nimbly to wrap his arm around the bar, to grab it and tear it out of the other android's hands.

Cain gritted his teeth as he saw Conrad pull his weapon away from him. He didn't give Conrad time to attack him and sprinted on his predecessor to tackle him. Conrad was taken by surprise when Cain's body crashed into him like a vehicle going full speed. The two androids fell heavily to the ground, splashing out from the impact, and causing the pipe to drop from Conrad's hands.

A fist suddenly smashed in his face, causing a brief crackle in his field of vision, and resurfacing warning errors. Cain hit him again, but Conrad managed to reach the metal bar and was able to hit the other android right in the head before he hit him a third time.

Cain was thrown a few meters in the opposite direction of the hit, rolling on the ground, completely soaked. Some of his synthetic skin was damaged on his face, but the thirium was already busy trying to repair the damage. Conrad stood up quickly, his fingers wrapped around the metal bar.

"You know all of this is nonsense ..!" Conrad shouted, his cheekbone white from previous punches. "You're just obeying Stern's orders! You don't have to do this! You could be free, and no longer be his puppet! "

"You don't understand…" Cain slowly stood up, first on all fours, then looked up at Conrad. "I have to deactivate you and Connor…" He smirked. "You are my emergency bio-components, my spare parts. If I want to evolve, to stay the best, and be the only one ... Then I have to take you out of the game. "

Cain suddenly stretched out his leg and swept it under Conrad, but Conrad dodged him with a jump. Cain rose to his feet in the inertia of his blow and ran away from Conrad.

"CAIN! "

Conrad jumped forward in the chase for the second time. He saw the android dodge the antennas, the vents systems, and Conrad imitated those acrobatics to perfection to go the distance. Cain hit 52km/h before jumping into the void, stretching out his body like a feline to reach the building on the other side. The android landed rolling over a shoulder thirteen meters away and resumed his run. Conrad accelerated his pace before leaning on the edge of the building in turn to jump into the void. His eyes focused on the ground in front of him, not below, and he landed rolling over his shoulder as well, slipping on the wet ground nonetheless as he tried to get up. But barely was he on his feet that he received another hit in his face. This time it was a crowbar, and Conrad had felt it deeply. His jaw had dislocated from the impact, and he had whirled around before finding himself face down on the ground, feeling thirium trickle out of his mouth.

Conrad let out a groan and began to crawl away from the android who was standing next to him with his new find.

"No one will find you, Conrad. Your components and parts are mines. "

Conrad startled with Cain when a gunshot echoed. Conrad quickly turned his head towards the source of the noise and saw Gavin, motionless nearby the access door of the building rooftop, a few meters away from them, out of breath and soaked as well.

Cain eyed the detective sternly before looking down at his own shoulder. The bullet had lodged just under his collarbone, oozing with thirium, and the RK1000 suddenly looked enraged.

Cain took a step in Gavin's direction but the bullet still lodged in his shoulder and the sudden loss of thirium caused him to drop limply and heavily to the ground. His head hit the ground first, gazing in the distance, and didn't stand up, letting the thirium mixing with the rainwater that pounded the ground. Conrad looked at him surprised and got up as quickly as he could because of his damages to make sure the other android was neutralized. The bullet had damaged him enough to immobilize him. Conrad finally snapped his jaw back in, and looked up at the human, surprised to see him here and not in an ambulance.

"Gavin ..!" He said much more worried than he wanted to as he moved closer to him. " You're okay? You were unconscious, I wanted to stay, but C- "

He was cut off when Gavin's cold, wet lips pressed against his, one arm wrapped around his neck, the other stretched along his body with his gun in hand.

At this point, everything seemed to be slowing down in Conrad's head. The raindrops were almost stopped in the middle of the air, the surrounding sounds were muffled to hear only the beating of his own pump and those of Gavin's heart, so close to him. Despite the situation, Conrad could feel a little warmth release from the human's lips, and his arm wrapped around him to hold them together. The kiss only stayed on the surface, their lips just pressed together, but that moment seemed to last forever in Conrad's head.

And that was enough to calm his stress level. Seeing Gavin, feeling him, kissing him, that was what he needed most now.

He gently grabbed his human's face in his hands to look him straight in the eye despite the rain.

"How did you know I was there ..? "

"You know me… I'm the best detective…" Gavin smirked and chuckled as he saw his android roll his eyes.

"This sentence strangely looks like mine ..."

"Do you have a copyright on it?" Gavin asked with that smile, glad to have found Conrad. "Connor located you. "

"Connor ? "

"He's fine," Gavin said, pulling back a bit to catch his breath that he had been struggling to calm from his frantic run down the street to climb here. "The reset would have been effective if it had been successful. Thanks to you, he's fine… There was a pass regulator in the basement, and he was able to go looking for Stern with the backups. "

"Okay ..." Conrad nodded reassuringly. "But you? How are you? Your head? "

"Arf," Gavin said, running his hand gently behind his head, wincing a little. "I'll look like an alien for a while, but apart from my ego, nothing is damaged."

Conrad let out a small laugh and leaned in to kiss him. Gavin let him do, closing his eyes. It was cliché kissing in the pouring rain, but he would stay there for hours despite the cold just to be there with Conrad and feeling alive.

"It was very touching." Cain suddenly said sarcastically. "But that's the end of the game. "

Gavin and Conrad suddenly separated.

Conrad looked at the other android who was standing in front of them, the gunshot wound subsiding. How was that possible ..? The androids could not regenerate to this point ..! Unless Stern added more efficient nanobots in thirium ..?

Cain suddenly threw himself at the pair, giving Conrad another hit with a crowbar, who snapped back to it and dodged it backward, but Cain used his other hand to throw Gavin against the wall, causing him to drop his gun which slipped further on the ground.

Gavin saw the stars again for a few seconds and tried to stand up, but he still wasn't feeling very well. His head was still painful, and from the cold, a headache had set in, it was like he could feel his heart beating in his temples.

Conrad rushed over to Gavin to try helping him but the crowbar slammed down on him again, on his back, knocking him down to the ground, just above Gavin, his hands on either side of his head.

Their eyes met, and Gavin's were wide open, suddenly tinged with fear.

" _It's alright, okay_ _..?_ "

Conrad's voice was low enough that only Gavin could hear him. There was a hint of surrender, of acceptance, and Gavin felt his insides twist. Cain's arm rose in the air again and slammed the iron bar on Conrad's back, who winced in pain as he closed his eyes, contracting his whole body to not to give in to the shocks and fall on Gavin.

He had to protect Gavin.

It was still his main mission.

"How adorable ..." Cain smirked, kicking the android hard in the ribs to knock him aside. "I don't care about the human Conrad. I'm here for you." He paused. "But if I have to do it ... then ..."

Cain slammed the crowbar right into Gavin, but Conrad intercepted it in mid-air, pulling the bar with all his strength, sending Cain waltzing in an arc on the roof, creating a spray of water under his feet.

Gavin opened his eyes again, his arms instinctively in front of his face for protection, short of breath. Conrad stood up with difficulty, reeling slightly, the warnings saying his gyroscope was damaged. The rage was clearly visible on his face.

"You touch only one of his hair, and I tear you apart. "

The rush of adrenaline in Gavin's body made him stand up, knowing full well that staying on the ground left him in a vulnerability posture. Conrad's sentence echoed in his head like a revelation.

He won't let Cain touch, Conrad, either. He will fight to deactivate this android impostor.

Conrad charged straight into the other android who was just regaining his balance after his big swing, and slammed his fist right in his face, making his jaw white in shock and also turned Conrad's knuckles white as well. Cain tried to intercept a second hit but Conrad pushed him instead of punching him, causing him to lose his balance briefly, but enough for Gavin to pick up his gun and point it at the android. But Cain fidgeted, grabbing Conrad by the shoulders, swinging, pushing, punching. Conrad gave the other android a hard hit with his shoulder to knock him off balance again, and tackle him to the ground, raising his fist to bring it down again on the RK1000's face, but Cain ducked rolling to the side letting Conrad's fist crash onto the ground. The latter winced in frustration and pain and stood up at the same time as Cain, circling like a beast ready to pounce on a turf war. Cain smirked before sending his leg swinging towards Conrad, punching him right in the chest and knocking him to the ground once again. He took the crowbar, and slammed it right in Conrad's face, bursting his cheekbone in the process, which made him cry out in pain.

But another shot rose in the air.

Cain froze, his left eye suddenly deactivated, blind, from the bullet that had passed through the back of his head and came out through the optical unit. But his processor hadn't been affected.

He slowly turned to Gavin, who was holding the gun out straight in front of him.

"For fucking sake aren't you gonna die asshole ?! "

Conrad slowly opened his eyes. He couldn't see very well from the shock he had just received, and his sight was black and white, sizzling, with a few dead pixels in his peripheral vision. The blow to his face, in addition to shattering his cheekbone, had fractured his skull, and thus clouded his view of warning messages and errors.

He tried to stand up, but his gyroscope had been damaged. He was out of balance, and he fell onto his back, staring to his left at Cain approaching Gavin.

"ǤȺv ... ɨn .. _._ "

His voice had a metallic, almost robotic tone, and he couldn't speak louder than a regular conversation. Gavin couldn't hear him, the rain was covering his voice.

"You fucking worse than Terminator goddammit ! "

Gavin shot one more time, but this time close to the regulator, and let go of a swear realizing he had missed it. Cain suddenly felt the threat of deactivation at the next bullet showing in his programmings. He threw himself at Gavin, broke his wrist to make him drop the gun, and slammed him hard against the wall behind, his fingers covered in thirium around his throat.

Gavin was choking, desperately searching for air to overcome the sudden pain of his broken right wrist. He was gripping Cain's hands tight, trying to loosen his fingers so he could breathe. But the more the seconds passed, the more his vision darkened, and the sounds around him diminished.

Conrad nevertheless managed to get up, concentrating all his energy on his balance. Without hesitation, he rushed over to the RK1000, crashed into him, and tackled him to the ground, pushing Gavin in a swinging motion. But the edge was only two meters from them, and Gavin fell over the parapet, into the void.

His heart stopped beating for a few seconds when he felt himself go overboard but managed to catch up right in time with his left hand against the concrete wall.

" Fucking shit! "

Gavin tried to tighten his grip but his fingers were slipping across the wet parapet, and not being left-handed, he felt he was about to let go.

"C-Conrad !" He cried desperately, trying to pull himself up with his right hand but the pain from his broken wrist was too unbearable. He was slipping. "CONRAD ! "

Cain stood up, but Conrad promptly pushed him back out of the way and run to the edge when he heard Gavin's voice. He threw himself on the knees by the parapet, leaned over it, and reached out to grab Gavin's forearm just as his fingers let go.

Gavin felt his heart sink deep in his body as his fingers slid out, his breath stopped a few seconds, but was snapped back to reality when he felt Conrad's grip around his arm. His distraught eyes found Conrad's and finally realized that he had caught up with him just in time. His throat was tight with anguish and paralyzed at the sight of his partner's disfigured face.

"D-Don't let me go! I'm begging you ..!" Gavin said hardly, crying without realizing it, refusing to look down.

"Ɨ-Ɨ wøn'ŧ... łɇŧ ɏøᵾ... ǥ-ǥø..."

Cain moved closer, an evil smile at the corner of his lips, then placed himself behind Conrad and kicked him off. Conrad's eyes widened as he felt himself rock forward, into the void, dragging Gavin into his fall.

The effect of the void violently gripped the human's guts, his eyes widening in terror.

Conrad, who had a bird's eye view of the void, saw the ground approaching with lightning speed. He fixed his eyes on Gavin's, who was seized with terror. He quickly grabbed him against his body, jerked them around to get under him, and stared into his gray-blue eyes as he took his face in his hands. Conrad smiled at him, then suddenly hugged him tight, using himself as a shield.

Conrad hit the ground first, a loud crackle echoing throughout the street. Gavin felt the blow of the impact violently and was thrown a little further, hitting his head again as he rolled on the asphalt. His breath was cut, and the metallic taste of blood filled his mouth.

Gavin tried to stand up with difficulty, to get on all fours but his ribs were in excruciating pain, and his hands were completely scratched in addition to his already broken wrist.

He managed to breathe a little better in small breaths, assuming he had also broken his ribs in the fall.

He lifted his head with difficulty, his sight blurred, and ears wheezing, searching for a landmark in space.

He then saw a silhouette lying on the ground not even three meters away from him. His breathing, already short with pain, quickened knowing full well that it was Conrad, the panic shaking him violently with tremors at not seeing him moving at all.

He crawled towards him, with difficulty, the air burning his lungs, his ribs making him suffer excruciatingly.

" _C-Con ... rad ..._ "

He crawled again, and again, laboriously, and after what seemed like an eternity, finally came to Conrad.

Gavin was out of breath, but looked at his partner anyway, hoping to see him move, blink, breathe, or whatever ..!

" _C-Conrad ..!_ "

Conrad slowly moved his eyes to the human, and Gavin took a deep breath through the pains, relief giving him a huge rush of adrenaline.

"Conrad ..!" Gavin almost shouted before moving his fingers over the android face. _"C-Con ..."_

But Conrad didn't answer, seeing the countdown in his HUD, sizzling, almost blind. He tried to scan the human to make sure he was okay, but his software was no longer working.

" _Ǥ ... Ⱥ ... vɨn .._."

" _Shhh… Shhh… It's okay, I'm here, it's okay._ _W_ _-We'll fix you okay? And then we'll go home ok_ _ay_ _..?_ "

" _Ɨ-Ɨ...wȺnnȺ... ǥ-ǥø ħømɇ..._ "

" _Y-_ _Yeah, w-we will… Y_ _ou, me ... P-Perry ..._ _A_ _-All_ _us_ _three, ok_ _ay_ _..?_ "

There he saw it, the big crack running through Conrad's face from top to bottom. His skull was broken, thirium covering the floor, and Conrad's open eyes, which were in his direction, suddenly seemed to blank over the detective's shoulder.

"No, no, no fuck Conrad! You stay with me !" Gavin said, feeling his insides twist in terror as he gripped the android's face in his hands. "Conrad! Look at me, please ..!" His throat tightened painfully, and tears began to roll down his cheeks. " _S_ _-Stay with me ..._ "

Seeing his time running out more and more, Conrad shifted his gaze back to his human's, raising his hand with difficulty to Gavin's face bloodied from the asphalt.

_"ǤȺv ... ɨn… Ɨ... ł-łø- "_

"No shut up for fuck sake, shut up, shut up ..!" Gavin burst into tears. "You have no right to tell me that now okay ?" He let out a whine of pain as he closed his eyes. "Y-You'll tell me later okay ?" He looked at him, his eyes glistening with pain. "W-When you'll be fixed again, y-you'll tell me ... O-Okay ..? "

Conrad looked at him tenderly, despair in his icy eyes. He hardly smiled to confirm to his human, but he knew he wouldn't be fixed again.

Gavin suddenly looked up when he heard the police sirens in the distance. Red and blue lights stood out in the distance in the streets, bouncing off the buildings.

" They're coming.. !" He lowered his head to look at Conrad. "They're com-..."

Conrad's LED was no longer glowing. His gaze was still looking at him tenderly but was lost in nothingness, his body still, his face relaxed despite the crack running through his face on the right side.

Gavin felt an icy chill assault him, and began to gently shake Conrad by the shoulders.

 _"C-Conrad ..?_ "

His breath quickened more and more like the lack of response from the android confirmed his greater fear.

He hurriedly sat down next to Conrad and grabbed his upper body to pull him up, resting his head on his thighs.

 _"H-Hey ..._ "

His chest tightened painfully, running his bloody trembling fingers nervously through his lover's hair.

"Conrad ..!" He had managed to raise his voice, but his voice was shaking. " _F-Fuck Conrad ..!_ _C_ _-Come on…_ _F-Fuck_ _..!_ "

His breath was hitched with sobs as he delicately cupped his face, wincing in grief. He couldn't breathe.

" _H-Hey ..."_

He only had the strength to whisper, his throat tight and his face wet with rain and tears. He sniffed, lips quivering as he stared into Conrad's blank gaze. He caressed his face gently despite the spasms that shook him.

_"It… It's alright… You… You're alright..."_

His fingers gripped the android's top, as the sobs grew louder, making his muffled cries from his face now nestling against his lover's face. He was no longer in control, he whined in pain, gasped with grief, his throat tight, his breath caught.

 _"_ _S_ _-Stay with m-me ..._ " he said, hugging the android more firmly against him, shaken by sobs, whining painfully. " _C-Con-rad ..."_

A police car pulled up right at the entrance to the alley, but Gavin ignored it completely. He continued to cry against his android, feeling his whole being ache. He was forced, by instinct, to sit up to breathe, but he couldn't. His throat was too tight with grief, and the crying shook him far too strongly.

He didn't hear the vehicle door slam or the running footsteps approaching him. He was trying to look at Conrad, but through his tears, he couldn't see anything.

Footsteps stopped near him, and a gasp of surprise was heard beside him. Gavin turned his head towards the person, who ended up being two, and he recognized Tina and Chris.

The young woman was wide-eyed, her hand clasped to her mouth in shock, as Chris stood back, eyes riveted on Conrad, lips parted.

 _"T-Tina ..._ "

Immediately brought back to reality by her best friend's torn voice, she hurriedly brought her walkie-talkie to her mouth.

"We need an emergency ambulance in 92th street right away. Chris is leaving for New Jericho, tell Connor. "

And she hung up. She crouched down next to them and looked at Gavin in pain, feeling her face too twist with sadness.

 _"You stay here ok_ _ay_ _?_ " She said softly so that her voice didn't break, running a hand tenderly across Gavin's cheek. " _It's maybe not too late..._ _"_

 _"He ... he'_ _s dead_ _T-_ _T_ _ina ..._ "

Gavin's face contorted in a grimace of pain, bursting into tears again as he hugged the android. She stifled a sob, feeling her throat tighten painfully and feeling her tears too mingle with the rain.

 _"C-Conrad…_ " He kissed his lips blued by thirium. ". _.._ _F-_ _F_ _uck..."_

Tina managed to make Gavin let go, motioning for Chris to take care of Conrad, put him in the car, and leave.

Gavin started to fidget, crying in pain from his broken ribs.

" _No.. ! C-Conrad ..! "_

" _Shhht… Gavin… Calm down… We can't waste time, just in case-"_

 _"_ I-I want ...him !" He shouted. _"I-I… w-want Conrad ... I ..."_

She stroked his head, hugging him to her body as he continued to cry. She was crying too. It was too unfair. Gavin didn't deserve this. And Conrad deserved to live …


	26. And The Life Goes On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Several weeks have passed since the incident, and after many sessions of rehabilitation and treatment, Gavin can finally return to work. He is not allowed to go on the field yet, but the anguish and pressure of being in the station again make Gavin doubt. He's not psychologically ready to come back here. It's too hard, he can't do it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, y'all! Thanks a lot for all your comments! I know you were all angry about the last chapter and Conrad's death but I know you liked it (don't lie !), you can't live without a bit of drama! And this is obviously the "hurt" part of this fic, but I promise there'll be the "comfort" part too. It starts a bit at the end of this chapter and you'll completely be satisfied in four chapters. Enjoy the 26th for now! :D

The engine shut off, and silence settled in the car. He kept his hands on the steering wheel for a few seconds, while opening and closing his right-hand several times, tightening the wheel’s curve intermittently.

Today was the big day, but not really awaited though. He had pushed back the deadline by two weeks, not feeling psychologically able to cope with this loneliness, which already haunted him at home long enough.

At home, he could let go. No one was there to watch him, judge him, or have compassion. In the station, all eyes will be on him as soon as would he appear, and all will look at him with pity. And Gavin didn't need that. It was hard enough that way.

He got out of the Dodge, slammed the door, and inhaled deeply, feeling a slight tug in his barely recovered ribs. The beautiful days were finally here, the sky was clear, and the sun gently warmed the too-pale skin of the detective.

He took out his cigarettes, opened it, and lit one. He almost sighed with pleasure when he felt the nicotine kick in. It was his first of the day, some things weren't changing. He then walked over to the station, hearing a small voice in his head telling him that smoking was going to kill him someday, but Gavin kept telling himself that obviously everyone would die one day or another. This strange conversation was like déjà vu, and Gavin threw his cigarette on the floor, stomping it.

Everyone dies one day, yes. And it happened even to the best.

He entered the building and was greeted by Eliana, the ST300 at the front desk. Gavin couldn't help but smile and greet her softly, not wanting to push his right wrist too hard.

He had spent the end of April and all of May locked up, first in the hospital and then at home, and he almost looked like a vampire compared to his colleagues who had been able to take advantage of the light of the last days.

The rehabilitation, both of his ribs and his wrist, had taken time, and he still had a few more sessions to do. He wasn't fit to go on the field yet, he wasn't psychologically ready to set foot anyway, but he was functional enough to do the paperwork. He hated it, but it was always better than staying home, alone with Perry, watching Netflix all day. He was starting to go crazy, even though Tina and his mother came to see him now and then at the end of the day or during the weekends.

“Hey ..! "

And that's it, it was just beginning.

Gavin took a deep breath and turned to see who was talking to him and saw Chris getting up from his desk.

"How are you, Reed?"

"Ah ... Miller ..." He gave a fake smile. "Oh well… peachy? I can walk, it's already a miracle according to the doc."

"Yeah right…" Chris nodded slowly. "You have a mail on your desk by the way. A letter from the General Department. "

Gavin raised his brows so high it made him wrinkle. A letter from the General Department? It wasn’t good. When the bigwigs contacted the officers directly, there was a rock eel.

Chris returned to his desk and Gavin walked over to his. He felt his stomach twist when he noticed all the letters, small wrapped gifts, and flowers on his desk.

He had made Tina swear to not tell the others when he was coming back and now everyone had given him gifts.

He looked around for the culprit but couldn't find her. Neither Hank nor… Connor seemed to be there anyway. He narrowed his eyes and stopped at his desk, searching for the mail from the General Department among all the others who wished him a safe return to the DPD.

He didn't dare to look up. No. He refused to look up. He didn't want to see _his_ desk, he didn't want to find it empty, he didn't want to think about it.

Too late. He had thought about it.

He sighed but finally found the envelope in question. But the instant he wanted to open it, his name resonated in the bullpen. He quickly looked up to see Fowler at the entrance to his office, waving him over.

Strangely, he was hoping to be caught in a time loop like those movies that were played by at Christmas, that the scenario of four months ago repeats itself, that Fowler would tell him that he would be paired with an android, and Gavin could see _his_ face again.

But time loops and time travel only exist in Doctor Who, and Back To The Future. There was no way Fowler would tell him that.

So Gavin entered the office, closing the glass door behind him. Fowler walked over to him and squeezed his hand warmly. It was rare to see him in a good mood, but oddly, Gavin found it reassuring to see his boss again. A semblance of a routine and banality would restructure his life.

"Glad to know you're healthy, Reed."

“Glad to come back, yes. "

"Come on," Fowler said, letting go of his hand. "Sit down, we need to discuss an important topic. "

"Just ... tell me I wouldn't be paired up with another android again ..."

Jeffrey looked at him surprised at first but saw the glint of pain in the detective's gaze. He gave a sorry little smile but shook his head.

" No don’t worry. That’s not why I want to talk with you.” He said taking a seat behind his desk.

"Okay ..." So Gavin sat down. " About what? "

"You found the letter, I see?" Fowler said, pointing to what Gavin was holding in his hand. " Did you read it ? "

" Not yet. What is it? "

“ Well… you can read it to see by yourself. "

Gavin frowned, confused that Fowler was so enigmatic. Normally, his boss was straightforward and blunt and didn't beat around the bush. The news contained in this letter must therefore be special.

He then tore the envelope flap and took out the letter. He unfolded it and began to read the first few lines.

_Mr. Gavin D. Reed,_

_The City of Detroit Police General Department acknowledges receipt of your letter of January 14, 2039, in which you request advancement from the rank of police detective level III to police sergeant level I (this grade involving the management of patrol or SWAT teams while keeping the role of district criminal investigator). We, therefore, have the honor to announce to you that we have decided to give a favorable outcome to your request._

Gavin's jaw dropped in amazement as he read the sentence. He hadn't expected this. He hadn't actually expected anything at all, as his request had been going back over six months now, and too much had happened in the meantime.

He looked up at Fowler, his mouth still ajar in shock, and looked back down at the paper to continue reading.

 _Indeed, because you collaborated with unit RK900 # 313 248 317 - 87 (aka Detective Conrad) over the past five months, you have been able to prove to the General Department your ability to work in a team and in collaboration with other members of the Department, such as Lieutenant Hank Anderson and RK800 Unit # 313 248 317-53 (aka Detective Connor Anderson), to manage stressful situations, and complete several investigations. Such promotion should above all be preceded by physical and psycho-technical aptitude exams. Upon successful completion of these exams, your investment in the DPD will be rewarded with your new rank of Sergeant Level I.  
_ _In this case, you will soon receive invitations to the exams mentioned above._

_Please accept, Sir, the expression of our regards._

_Auffray Dean, CEO of_  
 _City of Detroit Police  
_ _General Department._

Gavin tightened his fingers on the paper, biting his bottom lip, feeling the tears rise. He had felt that adrenaline rush of pride and joy deep inside him reading these lines, but now he realized that it didn't matter anymore.

In the space of six months, his life, his goals, had changed completely. Back then, Gavin lived only for his job and wanted to rise in rank for his own accomplishment and protect himself from the risk of losing his job to the androids. Manner to become indispensable. But all that had changed because of one person.

Without Conrad, Gavin had no interest in seeking this accomplishment. He felt all the worse that he had managed to get his request accepted through him. He felt like he had used him to achieve his own goals ... when he wasn't.

Gavin had become a better person in the space of a few months thanks to Conrad, and his career was about to take a turn for the better, again thanks to him. But Conrad wasn't around to see it anymore. He was no longer with Gavin to celebrate.

Gavin shook his head as he folded up the letter. He didn't know what to say. The words and his breath got stuck in the back of his throat.

“Reed?” Fowler asked, seeing the detective's hesitation. "Is something wrong? I thought this was what you wanted ..?"

"Yes ..." Gavin sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. "But ... I don't care anymore ..."

" You what ?” Jeffrey said surprised. " Why? "

Gavin bit his lower lip again, unsure of how to talk about it. He was afraid of his boss's judgment, personally and professionally, but he didn't know if he felt like talking about it. To talk about him.

He inhaled.

“I… I don't deserve this title. "

"Of course you do Gavin ..!” Fowler said, using his first name to try to reason the detective. “The letter itself says the reasons why you deserve it. "

“I deserve it thanks to Conrad.” Gavin fixed his gaze which was starting to blur from the tears that threatened to fall. “The letter says it too. And C-Conrad isn't here. "

"Gavin ... I know what happened to the android… And it’s unfortunate, but-"

"No, you don't know anything ..! "

The use of the sudden rise in his voice surprised Fowler, but the captain was mostly surprised to see the tears rolling down the detective’s cheeks in front of him. Gavin cursed, quickly wiping away tears, and snorted.

"What do I don't know ..?” Gavin pursed his lips and shook his head. “Gavin, I need to know. "

"It's too late ... It doesn’t matter anymore ..."

"It obviously matters, look at you! I'm your boss I need to know what's going on.” He paused, letting his tone fall. " Please. "

Gavin took a deep breath and uncrossed the arms he had unconsciously crossed over his chest. A self-defense reflex he used to protect himself emotionally from others. But Jeffrey was waiting for an answer and wasn't ready to let Gavin go until he knew what was going on.

"Conrad… and I… were…" He pursed his lips. "We were in a relationship ..."

Jeffrey raised his eyebrows, having expected anything but that. Gavin didn't dare to look at him at first, but the silence grew longer and thicker, and Gavin looked up at his boss to see what was going through his mind.

"I have to say that... I didn't expect this but…" He rested his head on his fists. "But suddenly a lot of things are explained and…" He pursed his lips as he looked at Gavin. "I… I am sincerely sorry…"

Gavin looked away as he felt his cheeks heat up, a sign that he was going to crack soon. He didn't answer, still feeling his throat tighten, blocking his breath so he wouldn't inhale too irregularly.

Fowler got up from his seat, walked around his desk, and leaned against it, facing the detective.

"You know ..." he started. "I lost my wife fourteen years ago because of a kidney failure ..." Gavin managed to breathe in slowly, then looked at his captain. "I know it hurts ... And even today ... So I fully understand how you feel ..." He put a hand on the detective's shoulder. “I wouldn't judge you at all Gavin. Neither your orientation nor the nature of the person you are with. I don't care as long as you do your job, are healthy, and keep throwing curses at everyone. "

Gavin let out a small laugh, not having expected the last sentence. He mechanically wiped his eyes. He hated crying, and that’s why he didn’t want to come back to the station. He was going to be served, he knew it.

But this exchange with Fowler was doing him good. They didn't get along normally, and now his captain was playing surrogate dads ...

Gavin lifted his head and looked at Fowler. Yes, maybe that was like that, after all, to have a father here and listening. He missed Hank on that point, but he couldn't blame him anymore.

Gavin had lost Conrad, he now understood Hank's grief over his son's death. He would have hoped to understand without having to live it ... But life was a beautiful whore. He couldn't go back.

"The news is still fresh ..." Fowler said, straightening up. "Take the time to think about the job, don't do this on a whim. Anyway, the events won't take place before the start of the school year in September, you have had all summer to get back on your feet and think. "

Gavin nodded, still unable to utter a word.

"Come on… You can go, I think Tina has just arrived. "

Gavin turned his head to see the young woman come up on her tiptoes and put a small gift on his desk. He rolled his eyes but couldn't help but smile.

So he stood up, wiped his eyes again, and sighed.

"Thanks, Jeff ..."

Jeffrey looked at him again surprised that he called him by a nickname and said thanks.

"Oh Reed, don't say such things, I'll end up liking you otherwise, and brrr ..!” He mimicked a shiver. "I'm not ready for this ..! "

Gavin let out a small laugh and nodded.

“Okay Grumpy. "

And he left the office.

Fowler tried to lecture him to keep up appearances for speaking to him like this but once the door was closed Gavin heard nothing but muffled mumbles.

Tina looked up at him and started running towards him before swinging her arms around his neck. Gavin winced a bit as he pressed down on the stairs’ barrier. His ribs were still a little fragile. He still responded to his best friend's hug.

“Hey! "

"Hey ..." he smiled as he released her. "We saw each other the day before last night you know? "

" So what ?? I have the right to be happy to see your ugly rat face! "

" Oh !” He said suddenly outraged. "I won't let you!” He gave her a small tap on the shoulder. "By the way, you told everyone the news I see! "

He pointed his fingers at his desk as he moved closer to it, deliberately avoiding focusing his gaze on the one next to his.

"Hmm ... yes, maybe ..." she said innocently. "It was stronger than me, I was so happy that you came back. You can't blame me ..! "

“Now I will have to thank everyone for their little attention, thank you very much, Tina ..! "

She gave him a broad smile before she had to slip back to her desk to start her day. Gavin took a seat at his desk and stared at the packages and letters. What was he going to do with all of this ... He gathered the items to the side of his desk to make more room, and in the process build a wall between the two desks. He turned on his terminal and looked at the waiting messages.

Over three hundred messages. He sighed, moaning. He already hated coming back to work. He opened the older one and began to read and sort.

One message, in particular, caught his attention: the report of the Stern case. Tina had not been able to keep him informed on the rest of the case, not being part of the team that had taken care of it, and having seen neither, Hank nor Connor, since that famous evening… he knew nothing about how it ended.

Gavin was a little angry with those two for not coming to visit him in the hospital. He believed with everything they had been through, they had at least become friends. But he was obviously wrong.

The report was written by Connor. He clicked to open it.

He read the first few lines. It was dealing with Connor's intervention after he rebooted in Stern's basement. He had been able to go after him, after putting the regulator back in his socket that the RK1000 had used to stabilize him during his kidnapping. Connor had caught up with Stern three blocks away. The man had fallen from the wet pavement, and with his hands cuffed behind his back, he broke his collarbone. He had failed to get up, and Connor had found him easily.

"Poor idiot…" Gavin whispered with his hand over his mouth, focused on his reading. "I hope you're gonna have a fucking trial and take it for ten years at least. "

Hank had been one of the reinforcements who had taken over for Stern. So Tina had not been able to convince the lieutenant to go to the hospital for his concussion. Gavin sighed. What a stubborn old man.

Connor had then launched a tracking on Conrad.

Gavin stopped reading for a moment, his eyes locked on his name. He didn't know if he was able to read the rest. He didn't want to see details, he didn't want to remember. But unfortunately, telling himself to not think about it had quite the opposite effect.

He refocused on the report.

When Connor got to the rooftop there was only the RK1000. He was leaning into the void as if looking down.

Gavin shook his head, knowing exactly what the other android was looking at. _You motherfucker_ , he thought.

Connor had grabbed Gavin's service weapon, which he dropped on the rooftop when Cain smashed his wrist and used it to bring down the other android.

"You deserved to die you, bastard ..."

The RK1000 had been repatriated to the police station for further study and to be used as evidence in Stern's next trial.

He continued to read the various testimonies of his colleagues about the situation that day, including one of Tina and Chris, who described the horror scene in the alley.

Gavin stopped reading at that moment and closed his mailbox, feeling panic resurfacing. His right hand opened and closed nervously, searching for something to grab and to let off steam.

He actually needed some fresh air. He felt his chest tighten and the feeling of suffocation was starting to make his head spin. He then got up from his chair and started down the aisle but stopped abruptly, hitting someone.

"Oh shit, sor-" he said, half catching himself on the person.

"Gavin ..? "

This voice. He knew it, but it was different. He met the hazel eyes of the android, which had that gleam of joy and surprise in his eyes.

"Connor ..." he said surprised and at the same time hurt to see him. The resemblance to Conrad didn't help him in his panic attack. “Uh I-I… I have to go. "

He walked his way, unwittingly jostling the android in the process. He absolutely needed to go outside, in which case he was going to put on a show in front of the entire police station. He was already the center of attention today, it wasn’t the time on having a panic attack.

He finally got outside and leaned against the building to huff and hold his head in his hands.

He wasn't ready to come back to work. Even paperwork, it was just impossible. Everyone seemed to be doing as nothing had happened, he couldn't stay at his desk eternally avoiding looking at Conrad's one, and he couldn't stand seeing Connor every day.

Gavin tightened his fingers on his face, feeling the anger toward Connor resurfacing as it did during his recovery. If Connor hadn't been kidnapped, all that followed wouldn't have happened. Conrad wouldn't be dead. He was so angry with the RK800 and Hank for being so careless that night.

“Gavin? "

The detective looked up, his eyes closed, and sighed, both to calm himself but also already annoyed by the conversation that would follow. He didn't want to talk to Connor.

He opened his eyes and looked at him. Connor slowly approached him, rolling the sleeves of his white linen shirt up to his elbows, his brow furrowed in concern.

" What do you want ?” Gavin asked a bit sharply, crossing his arms.

" How are you.. ? "

"I’m fucking peachy !" He said, rolling his eyes. “I thought you were smarter than that. "

"I know you're not doing well ... And part of it is my fault ... But ..."

" But what? "

" I need to talk to you. "

Gavin hated that turn of phrase. As if he wasn't stressed enough, the android added a layer. His defense reflex took over and he turned to Connor, planting his index finger on his chest.

"Yeah, I need to talk to you too," Gavin said almost threateningly. "First, I don't know if I can see your face every day because of your likeness with him, second, without this kidnapping thing, none of this would have happened, it's your fault! And third, I thought we were friends! You haven't come to see me even once in the hospital or my house! "

Connor had expected the first thought. Considering the detective's reaction a few minutes earlier, he knew that would complicate things. However, he felt hurt that he accused him of the kidnapping and all that followed. He had done his best to defend himself and Hank, and as soon as he had managed to come back to himself, he had hunted down Stern and shot Cain as soon as possible to get revenge and stop him. On the third point, he bit his lip nervously.

"I wanted to come to see you Gavin ..." he said softly, looking away uneasily. "But… Hank told me that my likeness to Conrad wouldn't have helped you to get better so… I kept my distance…" He looked again at the detective who was looking at him both understanding but still hurt. "Hank came to see you in the hospital at first, but you were sedated and under painkillers most of the time… Maybe you don't remember. But… You also asked him not to come to see you shortly before going home, because the idea of going home without Conrad made you mad. You closed yourself up and you rejected Hank ... "

Gavin inhaled slowly and sighed. He knew what Connor was saying was the truth. He didn't see why the android would lie. Sedatives and painkillers had always had negative effects on his memory, he knew that detail. And the time he sent the lieutenant out was obviously not a morphine hallucination.

"And… yes… we're friends… I hope so…" Connor said concerned with Gavin's reaction. "I fully understand your struggles with the fact I look like Conrad… and blaming me for what happened… But believe me, I would have done without this shit…" He paused. "I miss him too ..."

_"Sh-shut up .."_

Connor looked up at the detective and saw his teary eyes, and gaze away from the android. Connor bit his lip nervously, then moved closer to Gavin, resting a hand on his shoulder.

"Can I talk now ..?” Connor tilted his head slightly to the side. " It’s important. "

"Do what you want,” Gavin said, looking away and rubbing his eyes with his fists.

"You have to come with me to believe me, but…" Gavin gave him an annoyed look. “Conrad had been saved. "

Gavin suddenly turned his head towards Connor, almost doing a stiff neck.

"What ..? "


	27. Tactile Awareness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor drives Gavin to New Jericho to finally see Conrad, after many weeks believing he was dead. Only nothing is won yet. Conrad isn’t quite able to interact with anyone because, despite his repairs, he appears to be locked in some sort of coma.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your kudos and comments! I love to read you and it means really a lot to me !  
> By the way, I posted a new fic about DBH and Reed900 too. That's the "Vigilante" one in a dark universe. It's called "Shadow of Detroit" :)
> 
> WARNING: Nothing serious except grief and a heavy heart. I just wanted to warn!

Gavin's ears had been ringing for over fifteen minutes. His heart rate was so high that blood was racing in his head to the point of numbness, preventing him from focusing on anything around him. It was for this reason that Connor was driving the Dodge and not sitting in the front passenger seat.

Gavin felt his legs bounced nervously, but his eyes were riveted on the Detroit cityscape, still not fixing a specific point. His fingers twitched mechanically on the long white jacket, resting on his knees, which he had kept since April 22. Wherever he went, it followed him. He couldn't get rid of it. He hadn't even tried. The idea just hadn't crossed his mind.

His thoughts were racing in his head, not being able to focus on any particular element. It was a complete mess, but some things kept coming back and forth: Conrad, rain, pain, Conrad, saved, Conrad, Conrad, Conrad.

He hoped deep down that it wasn't a joke, in which case he wouldn't mind hitting the android that stood to his left. He had lost to him once before, but if Connor had been joking with him, he would let off steam for giving him false hope, and not give a damn about losing or winning.

Part of him was jubilant, wanted to cry with joy and fatigue so much he couldn't wait to see his android. _His_ android. The term made him feel like his heart had doubled in size. He was eager, but he was afraid.

In what state would he find him? Would he remember him? Deactivated deviants do not come back the same… And having experienced his own death, wouldn't Conrad be traumatized too ..?

The thought twisted his stomach.

Gavin was brought back to reality when he felt a hand gently rest on his knee. He suddenly turned his head to Connor, who was looking at him worriedly.

He hadn't realized that they had pulled into a parking lot and were in front of the big hotel from New Jericho. He hadn't noticed that his leg was bouncing enough to make the car shake, and Connor felt the need to stop him. The android withdrew his hand, silently apologizing with a nod, having invaded Gavin's personal space.

"We're here Gavin." The human looked out the window. "I'll go first, to warn them I'm coming with a human. They'll agree, don't worry, Hank has been here with me for the past few weeks to see Conrad's progress. "

"Have you been aware of this for several weeks ..?" Gavin was calm, but his eyes threw cold daggers.

"Yes… we knew from day one that Jocelyn would try to fix Conrad. We helped as well as we could." Gavin pursed his lips. "We haven't told you anything to preserve you, Gavin ..."

"Preserve me?" He replied harshly. "I believed for over a month that my boyfriend was fucking dead! Preserve me from what? I have suffered like a martyr all this time! I even thought about letting myself fucking starve ..! "

"Gavin…" Connor continued calmly, understanding the human's anger but not wanting to make matters worse. "Nothing was sure until three days ... And ... nothing is certain yet ..."

" What do you mean.. ? "

"His bio-components, his body, his software, and system are back to normal and fine, but…" Connor bit his lip as he settled back into the seat. "His AI is locked ..."

Gavin felt the anguish surface and tighten his throat. He focused on keeping a steady heartbeat, but Connor could notice the extrasystoles his heart was causing.

" What does it mean.. ?" Gavin asked almost half-word.

"That means… he's in some sort of virtual coma… Jocelyn thinks that either Conrad intentionally locked his AI before deactivating himself to avoid damage, or… the deactivation corrupted his AI and… in this case ... "

"It would be unrecoverable ..."

Connor turned his head to Gavin, his lips pursed, pained, and discouraged as well. He breathed in, however, to regain his composure.

"Either way Gavin… You deserve to see him…" Gavin nodded softly, eyes glassy and looking away.

"I don't know if I'll be able to walk, my legs are weak ..."

" I will help you," Connor said kindly. "I'll tell Adrian first, and then I'll come back and get you okay ..? "

Gavin nodded and Connor got out of the car and headed for the hotel. The human let his gaze slide down to the white jacket in his hands. Conrad had left it in his car that night, so the ultraviolet lights wouldn't make him like a beacon in the night.

He smirked as he remembered their kiss against the wall, but his eyes immediately started to burn, his nose to itch and his throat tighten when he thought about the kiss on the roof in the rain. Their last one.

" _Fuck_... "

His fingers tightened in the white fabric. He wanted to cry and cry again. He only allowed himself this at home, but the situation was far too unbearable. He had just learned, after precisely 49 days, that his boyfriend was finally not dead after he had cried for days, for weeks, to the point of neglecting himself and going into depression. If Tina and her mother hadn't come to see him and force him to eat, take his medicine, and keep his physiotherapist appointments, he would probably be dying in his apartment by now. He felt like a flame, an ember awakening deep within him, the hope that this nightmare would end, that he would find Conrad, and that they would strike this horrible memory together from their memories and create better ones. But nothing was certain yet, as Connor had said. It was smothered embers, which would consume him the wrong way, slowly, painfully, if his android ever returned to him.

Gavin almost jumped when his door opened and he saw Connor. He gazed at him, clearly reading the distress on the detective's face, knowing that he had lost himself in thoughts that were probably dark and painful. Connor reached out to the human, who looked at his hand hesitantly. But he wouldn't be able to walk without his help, and despite his anguish that Conrad would never be able to get out of this virtual coma, he felt the urge and need to see him. It was much stronger than anything else.

He got one leg out of the vehicle and grabbed Connor's hand like a lady stepping out of her limo. The android pulled the human closer, slipping his arm around his shoulders, and Connor slid his down onto Gavin's lower back.

The human slammed the door with his free hand and Connor locked the vehicle with the key in his other hand.

"If you tell someone about this, I'll sell you spare parts on the black market. "

"The same goes for you. I'm sure humans are still looking for organ donors, right? "

Gavin narrowed his eyes as he looked questioningly at the android, who was looking at him with a smirk, amused.

"I wouldn't tell anyone about our bromance, I promised," Connor said almost seriously, causing Gavin to laugh.

"Okay come on, let's get moving. "

They both walked slowly but surely. As he took the steps, Gavin seemed to regain his foothold in the real world, the urge, and need to see Conrad growing stronger than the anguish that made his legs bend under his own weight. He then managed to let go of Connor a few meters from the entrance and walk on his own. He stayed close to the android in case, not feeling comfortable walking into a place he didn't know but which was also populated only by androids.

A man with Asian features greeted them at the reception.

"Connor," Adrian smirked and glanced at the human. "Jocelyn is upstairs in Conrad's old bedroom. She's waiting for you. "

"Thanks, Adrian. "

Connor and Gavin then took the stairs to the right and entered the second floor. Gavin had never been here. He had never come to visit Conrad when he lived in New Jericho, as he was still too stubborn to accept anything. Now he clearly couldn't pretend.

Connor stopped in front of a door and knocked three times before opening it and sticking his head. Jocelyn got up from the chair near the bed to greet them. The RK800 then opened the door further to enter and let Gavin follow him inside.

"Hello Jocelyn," Connor said, giving the coffee-skinned woman in front of them a soft smile. "This is Gavin Reed, who works with me at the station as a detective."

"Hello," Gavin said politely, shaking her hand.

"Yes," she smiles, responding to the gesture. "I know who you are… Conrad told me a lot about you when he was still here… Nice to finally meet you."

Gavin couldn't help but blush at the thought that Conrad could talk about him so much that the young woman seemed to already know him. He smiled for the form and the android let go of his hand to refocus. She invited them to come further into the room, near the bed particularly.

Gavin's heart raced a little more with each step, and it stopped beating when he saw and recognized Conrad lying in bed with his eyes closed, under the sheets like a sleeping person.

Instinctively, his hands came to cover the lower part of his face as he felt the emotions surge violently. His breathing started to get uncertain, but his eyes couldn't get away from his android's face.

He looked calm, asleep. He was also in perfect condition, the skin still porcelain, a few moles here and there, intact ... except for a thin white scar which began slightly above his right brow, which slid down on his cheekbone, without crossing his eyelids, and continuing down the cheek to stop at the start of his jaw. The only mark remembering that Conrad's skull broke when he fell.

With shaking hands, Gavin stopped by the bed, beside him. Tears started to flow as he saw that the android's LED was a steady red.

"Chris Miller, a DPD officer, arrived on the evening of April 22 with Conrad ..." began the TA900. "He was badly damaged and already deactivated, but… I've seen worse. "

"Jocelyn took care of Zlatko Andronikov's creatures ..." Connor said quietly, reminding the detective of the investigation of the android and Red Ice trafficker seven months ago. "Some of these androids didn't even look like humanoids anymore ... And they were badly damaged by Andronikov's experiments, both hardware and software ..."

"Most of them were all deviants… And because of Zlatko, they had been switched on, switched off, reset, over and over again." Jocelyn said, looking at Conrad before looking at the human. "The hardest part for Conrad was having the spare parts to fix him… Since he was the only RK900 out here… so it wasn't easy. "

"I considered getting Cain's spare parts," Connor said as he watched Gavin hesitate to put his hands on Conrad's, still on the sheets. "But… Kamski contacted me. He had heard about the matter, what had happened, and volunteered to help Conrad. "

Gavin narrowed his eyes, leaving his hands at his sides so as not to show his furious urge to grab Conrad's hand in his. He turned his head slightly towards the other two androids.

"Kamski wanted to take care of the parts and repairs himself?" Gavin asked dubiously.

"I made the repairs," Jocelyn interjected. "Kamski just had us deliver all the parts we needed to fix Conrad. He had them made exclusively for him. And this for free. "

" Free ?" Gavin shook his head. "It's hiding something ... Kamski is renowned for having fun and watching his androids from afar, for his own entertainment and his misplaced fascination ..."

"Sure ..." Connor said, pursing his lips. "But I inspected all the parts before they were installed. There was nothing suspicious, so we took the step, and Jocelyn was able to fix Conrad. "

"But ... his AI seems locked, and I can't tell if it was a willful act before he was deactivated or a consequence of the deactivation ..."

Gavin inhaled. He felt the air in the room was getting heavier and thicker. He needed to know all of this, but right now, he just wanted to be alone with Conrad.

He opened his mouth, ready to say something, but no words came out. Connor suspected what Gavin was trying to say, and glanced at the TA900. Connor walked over to Gavin, resting his hand on his shoulder.

"We're going to leave you with him for a bit… I know you need it…" He pursed his lips. "We don't know if he can hear you… if you ever want to talk to him…" He looked at Conrad, feeling his own pomp ache. "But his nervous system is active ... he feels the touch ... the heat ..."

Connor wasn't sure if this information would be helpful to Gavin, but if the human ever wanted to hug him or hold his hand, he had to know that Conrad was receptive to that.

"Call me whenever you need to ... It doesn't matter if it's ten minutes or three hours ..."

Connor withdrew his hand from the human's shoulder. Gavin looked up, his eyes glassy, and nodded, thanking him. Jocelyn went out first, followed by the RK800. Once the door closed, Gavin burst into tears as he collapsed into the chair next to the bed. As if his life depended on it, he rushed over to grab Conrad's hand in his.

His heart ached so much right now. He didn't know what to do anymore because of all these conflicting emotions, this mixture of relief and pain, and this pain that made him suffocate. So he simply sobbed, shaken by spasms and short breaths. He brought his android's hand to his face to feel his skin against his as if to permeate his presence into all of his cells. He kissed his fingers, knuckles, the back of his hand frantically, his palm… His tears continuing to create wet furrows on his cheeks, wetting Conrad's still motionless hand on the way.

Gavin wanted so badly to feel him in his head here, right now. The urge almost ached, making him a cramp in his stomach, making him want to scream in rage and frustration and throw everything away. He wanted to feel Conrad in every fiber of his body, to feel him vibrate, to feel him, to become one to the point of not knowing who is who.

But Gavin couldn't interface with Conrad… The android had to initiate the act for that, but Conrad was absent. Gavin's fingers tightened around his android's, trying to calm his tears and find a less erratic breath.

He huffed, let go of Conrad's hand with one hand to briefly wipe his eyes and cheeks. He frowned, the pain still there, radiating down his chest and compressing his throat. He looked at Conrad's face, so relaxed, almost peaceful, completely unsuspecting.

Gavin smirked, his face contorted with sadness as he gently stroked the hand of the android with his fingers. It was messy, but he wanted Conrad to know he was there, so he touched him, tried to run over the entire surface of his hand.

He looked at his LED, which was still static red, then his gaze drifted to that scar. It was a story, a chapter of his life, of his existence that was exposed for all to see on his face. But strangely this fine line, which traced the old crack in his skull, did not disfigure him in any way. Gavin couldn't tell if that was really the case or if it was just because he had missed the android all this time, and he didn't care about that scar. There were both certainly, and either way, Gavin loved Conrad no matter what.

He gently pulled his chair closer to the bed and raised one of his hands to touch his face. He wanted to talk to him, but the words got stuck in the back of his throat. He was afraid that if he managed to speak his voice would break, and he would most likely start to cry again.

Feeling his skin under his fingers, Gavin felt a genuine smile stretch his lips. He was happy to see him, even though he wasn't out of the woods.

_He may never be ..._

Gavin closed his eyes tightly to chase the painful idea out of his head. He opened them again, feeling his eyes watering, blurring his sight slightly, feeling his face warming slightly.

" _H-Hey ..._ "

His voice broke despite the whisper, and his face contorted again into a grimace of grief. He mechanically wiped his nose, unable to breathe through it.

" _I-I thought…_ " He swallowed hard, sniffling lightly. " _That you were like the Terminator ..._ " He shook his head. " _You better… come back too…_ " He pursed his lips. " _Quickly_ ..."

He took a deep breath through his mouth, inflating his lungs and relaxing his diaphragm which seemed to compress his chest.

" _You…_ _Y_ _-You wanted to tell me something… last time…_ " He bit his lip, his fingers still brushing his face. " _I-I want you to come back and tell me…_ " The fingers of his other hand tangled with those of Conrad's hand. " _I want to hear you say it ..."_

Eyes reddened, Gavin stood up to look over Conrad. He leaned down gently and pressed his lips gently on his forehead.

" _I'll tell you_ _it_ _too ..._ " He kissed his eyelid in his right eye. " _Again_ ..." Then the one in his left eye. " _And again ._.." He kissed the point of his nose. " _Because I_ _won't be able to_ _stop ..._ " He pressed his lips to his right cheek. "B _ecause I've never felt so good_ _than_ _with you .._." He kissed his other cheek. " _And because I don't want to be with anyone_ _else_ _than you ._."

He went down a bit, hovering over Conrad's perfect lips. He bent down to brush them with his, then gently squeezed them together.

" _B-Because I can't live without you, Conrad…_ " He kissed him softly again. " _Fuck C-Con ... please come back ..._ "

Sitting on the edge of the bed, he gently clung to the android, wrapping his arms around his neck, nestling his face in the crook of his shoulder.

He cried for several more minutes, half lying against Conrad, reaching out to touch every part of his body, hoping to let him know he was there.

After an hour, Gavin woke up. He had subconsciously fallen asleep against Conrad, the tears and emotions knocking him out. He straightened up slowly, again brushing the face of his sleepy android, the LED still red.

He leaned in to kiss him again.

 _"I have to go back to the station ... But I'll come to see you every day, I promise… I… I will tell Perry that I saw you…_ " He breathed in. _"He also wants to see you again .._."

He didn't want to leave, but he shouldn't abuse it. Knowing that Conrad was here, that there was still hope, made Gavin want to keep focusing on work.

That was his new goal: to work to clear his mind, yes, but above all to become better and to have Conrad proud of himself the day he comes back to him.

He gently grabbed the hand of the android and, with the tip of his index finger, traced an _I love you_ on his synthetic skin.

He kissed him again to say goodbye, and, after a good five minutes of hesitation, managed to leave the room.

In the hallway, he sighed loudly, his heart heavy. At that moment, Connor stepped out of the staircase.

"Are you alright Gavin ..?" He said, tilting his head slightly to the side.

"Y-Yeah ..." the detective said, his voice shaking. "I… I would come back to see him… You think I can ..? "

"Of course ..." Connor smiled. "You have permission from the Four. You're welcome here, Gavin. "

Gavin nodded, thanking again Connor silently. He was the first to move, refocusing a bit. They had to go back to the station. He had paperwork to do and presents to open.

He wanted to do everything he could to make Conrad feel proud of himself when he woke up.

Because he will wake up.

He had to.

_Right..?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah... Right ?  
> ಠ‿ಠ


	28. Sergeant Reed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin learns that he has passed his tests to become a sergeant, and Tina and Connor decide to throw a party that same night at Gavin's favorite bar. He hastens at the end of his shift to go visit Conrad to tell him the good news.

Gavin stared at the envelope, his hands shaking. He looked up at Tina, who was across from him, leaning her elbows on the break room table. Gavin took a deep breath to cheer himself up, and gently tore the envelope. After unfolding the letter, he began to read.

" Oh fuck. "

"What ???” Tina hurried, feeling a rush of blood run through her body. "What ???? "

Gavin looked up at his best friend, trying to put on a serious face but the corners of his lips twitched, suppressing a smile.

He didn't hold out any longer and let out a little cry of victory as he raised his fist to the sky like Freddie Mercury.

"I passed the tests! "

Tina let out a cry of joy and began to jump around the break room before pouncing on Gavin and swinging her arms around his neck.

"I fucking knew it!" She said, overflowing with joy. "I knew you were going to pass your fucking tests! "

"It was worth it to work hard all these past weeks!" Gavin smiled, letting go of Tina to reread the letter to be sure he understood. "We'll have to celebrate Tina ..! "

"Oh yeah count on me, Sergeant Reed!"

Gavin smiles more at the title. Seven months, soon to be eight, he had applied to the General Department to become a Sergeant, and now he had passed the tests with flying colors. He thanked Tina again for motivating him during these intense workouts despite his protests when his ribs still hurt.

New horizons were opening to him now, and he intended to keep giving his best.

At that moment Connor walked into the break room, a slightly worried look on his face.

" Everything is fine ?” He said, tilting his head slightly to the side, looking at Tina and Gavin in turn. “I heard you scream. "

Gavin walked over to the android and gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder to reassure him, unable to stop smiling. Connor liked to see Gavin like this.

“I passed my tests to become a sergeant. "

Connor's eyebrows, which were frowned in concern, suddenly raised in surprise, giving the impression that his gaze had suddenly lit up. His lips parted and then twitched into a frank smile.

“Congratulations Gavin ..!” Connor also placed a friendly hand on the human's shoulder. “I never doubted it. "

"Well, I guess I was the only one who didn't believe in myself ..!” Gavin laughed softly. "Thanks, Connor ..."

Tina opened her mouth wide in amazement as Connor froze for a few seconds before giving Tina a surprised look. The android narrowed his eyes, a glint of mischief in his eyes as he planted his eyes on Gavin again. Smirking, he pointed his index finger close to the human's face, between the two of them.

“You just said thank you. "

"What?” Gavin said, stepping back suddenly embarrassed by the sudden turn of things and the closeness. " Bullshit! I would never say thank you to an asshole like you ..! "

Connor tried to suppress a smile when he saw Gavin do the same. The human chuckled, shaking his head and grabbing Connor in his arms. The android readily responded to the hug. They were friends after all.

"Thank you ..." Gavin repeated, smiling.

"You're welcome," Connor said, patting him friendly on the back before letting go. "So are we going to celebrate?"

" Oh yeah.. !” Tina intervened. “I will make a list of people. Can you book a place, Connor? "

“Absolutely. "

“Yes! Let's go ! "

Gavin rolled his eyes, still that smile on his lips. He watched his two friends come out of the break room, going back to their work, with new goals in mind.

Gavin walked over to Fowler's office and knocked softly on the glass door to signify his presence. The Captain lifted his head from his tablet and waved his hand back in. He made himself more comfortable in the back of his chair when he saw Reed approaching.

“I received a letter,” Gavin said as he handed the letter to the captain. " It's positive. "

Fowler took the letter and began to read. He put on an expression of satisfaction, nodding in agreement.

“Congratulations Reed, I'm glad you finally changed your mind two months ago.” Said the captain, returning the letter to him. "Your new badge and plate should be around the corner, I'll call you as soon as I get them. "

" Thank you. "

"And not too crazy tonight," Fowler smirked behind his fingers resting on his lips. “We are on weekdays and we have an important job. "

“Obviously. "

Gavin was able to settle down and went back to his desk. No follies? As if he was going to deprive himself of it. He glanced at Tina behind his back, who looked at him before imitating guns with her fingers and shoot him. Gavin rolled his eyes, annoyed and amused, then refocused on his work.

He still had to write the report of his intervention this morning, after finding this child, a YK500, who had been missing for two days. Nothing too maddening, the young android had simply decided to go visit the amusement park in the suburbs on her own without telling her adoptive parents.

Androids or humans, children were always unpredictable and carefree. That was why Gavin didn't want children. Too many responsibilities. And who would want to have children to raise them in a world as crappy as this? And with a job like his, he was out of the question. He spent most of his time working, he had no time for a child. It was already a miracle that he was able to find someone to live with and spend all of his time with, even at work. Well, that was before.

He shook his head. He had to hurry to finish this just so he could make time to visit Conrad tonight.

He kept his promise, he came to see him every day at least once. Sometimes, when he didn't miss his alarm clock, he would go there twice a day, in the morning and the evening. He was all the more anxious today to go see him and tell him the news.

Gavin glanced at the time. Two more hours before the end of his shift. He had to hurry.

When he pulled into the New Jericho parking lot, he was thirty minutes late. He hated finishing at six o'clock because everyone was leaving work and creating spectacular and extremely annoying traffic jams. He didn't want to cut his visit short because of the party that was to follow tonight. He would make the others wait. Conrad was more important.

But Gavin quickly calmed down at the thought of seeing his android. He walked into the hotel and greeted Adrian who was chatting with someone else and waved back at him as he continued his conversation. They were used to see Gavin around. Gavin even got along pretty well with Jocelyn.

He went upstairs, making his way to the bedroom. Despite the air conditioning in the building to keep the androids at an optimum temperature, Gavin was hot. Above all, he couldn't wait to see Conrad and tell him everything that had happened today. So he entered the room, closed the door, and approached Conrad's body, still motionless in the bed.

"Hi, honey…" Gavin smiled as he sat upon the edge of the bed to lean over and kiss his lover tenderly on the lips. "I have some great news for you ..! "

He sat on the edge of the bed while taking Conrad's hand in his like he used to do the past few weeks. He brushed his hand, still unconsciously and desperately seeking to connect with him.

“On July 27, 2039, Gavin Reed is officially a sergeant!” He announced proudly, smiling. “I know I've complained a lot lately, the aches, the stress, the discouragement too… But frankly, I feel satisfied. I managed to outdo myself despite my ribs still aching, despite Tina getting on my nerves, but frankly, I'm glad it was her and not you, I think you would have been much worse. .! "

He smiled tenderly as he continued to brush the skin with his thumb. Obviously, even if Conrad had been in Tina's place to train and push him to his limits, Gavin would have been happy to have him. No matter how slowly he recovered from the situation, getting used to seeing Conrad still in his virtual coma, he still missed the android terribly.

“Tina absolutely wanted to make a party tonight.” He smiled as he looked at the calm, relaxed face of the android. "I know it's Wednesday, I'll be careful, I promise. There'll be Connor anyway, he'll make sure I come home in one piece. "

He gently lay down against Conrad, his body facing his, his head resting against his shoulder. He lifted his face to his to kiss his cheek and looked at his LED. Still that same stable red.

"I would love to see another color..." he gently raised his fingers to touch the little bright ring for the first time. "Blue suits you much better ..."

Gavin jumped and scrambled to his feet when he saw the LED flashing red under his fingers.

" _Fu_ \- Conrad .. ?? "

His heart was pounding in his chest, suddenly making him so much hotter. He gently shook off the android, but nothing happened. The LED was still flashing. He hurriedly grabbed his phone from his pocket, still near Conrad, making his eyes switched between his LED and his phone to look for Jocelyn's number. He called her, his eyes fixed on his android.

"Hello, Gavin? How ar- "

“In Conrad’s room, right now, something's changed. "

The call ended abruptly. Gavin inhaled hard as he put his phone back on the small table and looked at Conrad again. The LED had just regained this static red color.

"Honey, please…" He ran a hand across the lower part of his face as he pressed his hand into his. "Wake up.. "

The door then opened and Jocelyn entered. Gavin got up from the bed to make room for her.

“His LED suddenly started flashing red,” Gavin explained to Jocelyn.

" What's happened? "

"I don't know…" he said, pursing his lips, shaking his head. “I was talking about his LED, and I just touched it briefly. "

Jocelyn lifted her hand, retracting her synthetic skin, and rested her fingers on Conrad's LED, forcing the RK900's skin to retract to interface with his AI.

“Something did happen. "

Gavin suddenly moved closer to grab Conrad's hand and stroke his fingers while listening to Jocelyn.

“His AI seems to have tried to unlock.” She sat up, withdrawing her fingers. "I don't know if it's related to the fact that you touched his LED but…" She turned to Gavin. “RKs may have security unlock feature. "

"Are you saying you'd have to enter a pin code into Conrad to unlock his AI like a phone?" Gavin raised an eyebrow, unconvinced.

“Maybe not a pin code per se, but Conrad is a very advanced Gavin model. He was originally designed to work for the police, the feds, and even the army. If ever the RK900s were to get hacked and they had secret defense information, Cyberlife may have created a way to lock down AIs to prevent hacks.” She looked at Conrad again. “I had told him before that he couldn't be hacked, his software was very strong on that. "

"That's why Cain couldn't access Conrad's memories and had to act on his own and take control ..." Gavin frowned. "Okay, let's say you have to enter a code or whatever. How do we do it and what is it? "

Jocelyn sighed, shaking her head, defeated.

"I have no idea, Gavin ..."

“Obviously ..!” He grumbled, feeling the frustration rising but he calmed down slowly. “Well, we already have a new lead to get him out of this virtual coma.” Jocelyn nodded in agreement. “Whether it's a pin code, a password, or whatever, it has to be defined by someone at some point. Either by Cyberlife or by Conrad himself. "

"I have no way of knowing ..." Jocelyn said, turning to Gavin. "We'll have to question Connor in case he knows anything, that Conrad maybe could have told him about this security system?"

"I see him tonight, I will talk to him about it,” Gavin said, nodding. "And if there is nothing, I would go back to Kamski. He must have some information on the RK900 even if it was a confidential project. "

"Those are the only options I see right now too, indeed. "

Jocelyn looked at Conrad again, to see unsurprisingly that his LED still had not changed color and was no longer flashing. She gave Gavin a narrow, sorry smile as her own LED began to flash yellow.

"I have to go back to the hospital wing. Keep me posted if you have any information. "

" Okay. "

She greeted him and left the room. Gavin moved closer to Conrad to sit on the bed again and take his hand back. He lifted his fingers to return to stroke his LED with his fingertips. As expected, the glowing red circle began to flash again.

"I'll figure out how to wake you up, Conrad…" He moved his hand down to his cheek to brush it, the LED returning to the same calm red. “I’m not losing hope. You will come back... "

He gave a small tender smile. He had to leave to feed Perry, get ready for the evening, and eat something. He couldn't wait to see Connor now to ask him questions.

"I have to go ..." he leaned down to kiss his lips. "I'll come back to see you tomorrow, like today ..."

He took his hand and sketched the words _I love you_ on his synthetic skin again, as he used to do all the time for the last few months. Gavin smiled and leaned over to kiss his LED for a few seconds, his eyes closed. He rested his forehead against his head.

 _" See you tomorrow..._ "

Then he let go of his hand, watched his LED flashing red again, and reluctantly left the room, as always.


	29. The Hyde Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During the party, Gavin takes advantage of talking to Connor about this locking system Conrad seems to have used to protect his AI. Things are clearing up a bit, without having any real leads. Gavin decides to challenge Connor with darts and is then escorted home by the RK800.

Gavin had collapsed from fatigue on his couch on the way home shortly after his visit. He'd slept for an hour and a half, and it was Perry who'd woken him up by coming over to choke him with his fat, hairy stomach when he had laid down on his face.

Gavin cursed at the cat and put him back on the floor, rubbing his face. _What an asshole_ _sometimes_ , he thought for a moment before realizing that he had dozed off and therefore hadn't fed Perry.

"Oh shit, so that's why ..! "

He got up and went to the kitchen to grab the kibbles from the cupboard under the sink. He put a small handful in the bowl and washed his hands, looking at the clock. He had thirty minutes left to get ready and get to the bar for tonight. Well, that was if he wanted to be on time. But since Connor was a very punctual person and as he needed to talk to him, he didn't really want to be late. So he hurried over to shower and change.

He quickly looked at his phone to read Tina's message, telling him the name of the bar. The Hyde Out. Gavin knew this one, it was a bit of a retro Irish style bar, with darts, pools, bookshelf lamps hanging from the ceiling, old radios with the 80s / 90s hits, and big wood moldings at the counter. They served good Guinness there, and recently androids were accepted there as well.

Gavin smirked knowing it was Connor who had taken charge of finding the bar. The android seemed to know him well enough or to have done his research, to know that, in fact, The Hyde Out was Gavin's favorite bar.

He put his phone down, took his car keys, and hugged Perry. He asked him to be a good boy and not party too much with the other cats he invited while he was away. Gavin humanized his animal too much, but he was his only family and perhaps spoiled him a little too much like he was his own child. The cat didn't answer him, almost ignoring him, his head buried in his bowl. Gavin rolled his eyes, smiled, and left his apartment.

He arrived ten minutes late at the bar, having taken forever to find a place and park his car not far from the bar. He wasn't planning on drinking too much tonight, he had every intention of being able to get home in one piece and be able to do work the next day. However, Tina was off duty the next day, and when he walked through the doors of The Hyde Out, Tina was leaning on the counter ordering a beer. He waved at her then and she looked at him with a big smile and almost run to him to hug him.

"Hhheeeeyy!" She said oddly too enthusiastically.

"Okay ..!" Gavin laughed, pushing her gently away. "How many drinks did you have before I got there hm? "

" It's okay.. ! I've been here for half an hour, I was starting to get bored! So I had a drink on my own first, then Connor and Hank came in and I just ordered a second one. "

"You don't go past four drinks, okay? "

In response, she stuck her tongue out. He laughed and walked over to the counter.

"I'll let you order!" Tina said taking her new drink. "We're only three tonight, sorry. It was the last minute. "

And she left. Gavin then ordered a Guinness from the bar, and the young bartender gave him a smile before grabbing a glass and pouring him his drink. Gavin frowned, not realizing that he could please anyone other than Conrad. He didn't care anyway.

He thanked the young man, took his beer without adding anything, and went to the back room. As he arrived, Gavin froze when he saw the dozen people screaming with joy.

"Congratulations Sergeant Reed! "

He remained stunned for a few seconds, the time to recognize the people faces here: Tina, Connor, Hank, Chris and his teammate Steve, Eliana the ST300 from the reception, Ben Collins, Leo one of the PC200 and, the icing on the cake, Jeffrey Fowler in person.

Gavin opened his mouth a crack in surprise and finally laughed, in a mixture of glee and embarrassment before running a hand in his neck.

"Wow ..! You… You are almost all there ..!" Gavin said starting to get emotional. "I never knew you liked me that much ..."

"You can indeed be a real pain sometimes," Miller said, raising his beer with a wink. "But what do you want, you're part of the family! And the promotion is worth celebrating! "

"Definitely!" Ben said, giving Leo an amused look, who was trying to make himself comfortable. "Congratulations kiddo! "

Gavin pursed his lips and nodded, thanking them all for being there for him tonight. He didn't want to launch into an awkward speech, so he hurriedly sat down at the end of the table, near Tina, Connor, and Hank.

"I came to see your surprised face," Jeffrey smiled as he approached Reed to give him a friendly tap on the back, and then lift his head towards the others. "Don't mess too much around okay? You work tomorrow, I'm counting on you!"

"Yes, Captain!" Answered the officers and detectives at the same time.

Fowler rested his hand on Gavin's shoulder, congratulating him again on all his efforts, and walked away, waving to Hank, who nodded back.

Gavin sighed, eyes wide and eyebrows raised.

"I wasn't expecting to see Fowler here tonight, and…" he shook his head. "I was expecting it to be four or five ..! "

"Everyone is very happy to be here tonight to celebrate with you. Like Chris said, "Tina said, starting to laugh. "You may be a real pain, you are part of the family. You are a very good element at DPD Gavin, so obviously, we party with you ..!"

Tina took a sip of her drink, and Gavin followed suit, giving Connor a look who seemed to be warning Hank to not drink too much tonight.

" Oh fuck !" Gavin said, quickly putting his glass down on the table, his exclamation having caught the lieutenant and the android the attention. "I have to tell you something!" He looked at Tina too. "I need to tell you all something ..! "

"Come on, you're stressing me out now!" Tina said almost annoyed, not knowing enough already.

"Conrad, he… Something happened today. "

Connor turned to face the human and looked at him with great interest.

"It's not much, but his LED flashed briefly, still red, but several times and every time I touched it. "

"He reacted..." Connor said suddenly swollen with hope. "Did you warn Jocelyn?" "

"Yes," Gavin said, nodding his head. "She told me his AI tried to unlock. She thinks he has a security system to lock down his AI to prevent him from being hacked. A pin code, a password, or whatever. "

" Yes, it's true," Connor said, nodding his head. "I also have this security system. But it's not a password or a pin code. This is biometric recognition. "

"Like a fingerprint?" Gavin asked, frowning.

"No, it's not necessarily a fingerprint, it could be something else Conrad may have already registered and set up as an unlock access. "

"Like his lollipop? "

Gavin nudged Tina's ribs, lips pursed in embarrassment and annoyance. But the young woman laughed despite the pain, the alcohol making things easier for her.

"Has he ever told you something about this? Is he the one who chooses or is it Cyberlife?" Gavin said, looking at Connor.

"No, he never said anything about it to me…" Connor said ignoring Tina's laughter. "And Cyberlife doesn't program this system so that a superior giving orders to the android can choose the unlock access, or their referent human. But since Conrad is deviant… He could have done it by himself. "

"I… I am his referent human." Gavin said. "Maybe he set it up so… I can do it? It… It's selfish to think that, but… But given there was a reaction when I touched his LED, maybe I can actually do something?" Gavin shook his head, finding no answers. "But why did it not work? "

"Because you touched it with your fingers? Maybe Conrad didn't register your fingerprints but something else? "

"Like his l-"

Gavin pressed his hand against his best friend's mouth, more than annoyed now. It might have been funny if it weren't so stressful and sad. But Tina glared at him, having meant _lips_ this time and not the other word. Gavin rested his hand over her mouth while looking at Connor.

"I don't know… I didn't even know that Conrad had this feature…"

Gavin sighed, letting go of his best friend as he gave her a warning look, and took another sip of his beer. Connor didn't know anything about how to unlock Conrad. If the younger android hadn't said anything to the older one, it was normal for them to stall. But Gavin was sure of one thing: he was convinced he was the key to getting Conrad out of this virtual coma. His LED had reacted to his touch. So the security system had managed to identify him and was telling him _Well_ _yes, it's you, but it_ _doesn't work this way_. The sergeant sighed again. Hope swelled his heart but frustration was twisting his stomach.

"You'll find a solution, Gavin," Hank said with a comforting smile. "You're a sergeant now, and solving enigmas is your thing. You will find out. "

"I hope Hank ..."

Connor then got up from his chair, attracting the attention of Gavin, who looked at him puzzled. The android felt he needed to change his friend's mind, so he looked at him defiantly, and smirked. Gavin narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"A game of darts?" Connor said mutinously. "Even though I'm sure to easily win ?"

" Oh!" Reed stood up outraged. "Pretentious kid, I'll teach you who's the best darts player in the DPD ! "

Gavin had to admit it. Connor was really good at darts. He had been beaten up by the android all evening, and everyone had sided with Connor. Gavin was cursing inside, frustrated that he wasn't as good as him. But hey, it was an android ..! Obviously he could aim and shoot perfectly and still not miss the center of the target.

To keep his ego, Gavin had asked his other colleagues to play against him, and he was still relieved to see he still was better than them at this game. Certainly, he couldn't stand up to the dexterity and Connor's perfect aiming, but he still beat down on his other colleagues made of flesh and blood.

Gavin took his third drink of the evening and came back to sit at the table. There were only Tina, Hank, and Connor left. The android took a seat next to the sergeant.

"I have to admit," Connor began sipping his glass of thirium, "you are really very good compared to the others. You defended yourself very well. "

"But you're still better than me." Gavin hissed, his nose in his glass.

"I'm an android, it's not comparable," Connor smirked and put his glass down. "You were clearly the best player on the night. Well done "

Gavin rolled his eyes. He didn't like to be flattered. He was really not used to receiving compliments and it made him uncomfortable. But tonight was his night, so exceptionally he wasn't going to complain too much. He still tried to hide his embarrassment. In the worst case, he would blame the alcohol.

"Daaaamn but it's almost two in the morning!" Tina exclaimed, looking at her phone. "Val tried to call me seven times, damn it ..!" She quickly typed out a message. "I have to go home, otherwise I'll be strangled ..!"

"I have to go home too anyway," Gavin said, hurrying to finish his drink in a few sips. "I don't have a day off tomorrow ..! "

Connor glanced at Hank who had settled down comfortably on the bench, listening to the music wistfully.

"I think we'll go home too. Hank needs some rest to get through the day." Connor said as he finished his drink, then his gaze fell on Gavin. "Though… I won't let you get behind the wheel, Gavin. "

"I've only had three drinks for the whole party. "

"Yes, but you almost drank your glass in one go. Alcohol will circulate faster in your blood and- "

"Okay okay ..! It's okay, I believe you. "

Connor leaned over to tell Hank his intentions. Hank would follow them in his car while Connor, driving the Dodge, drove Gavin back home. The lieutenant confirmed by nodding his head. At that moment, Tina stood up, picking up her things.

"Well, Val is here, see you on Friday!"

"See you on Friday Tina ..!" Gavin said hugging her, already feeling the excess alcohol taking its toll on his behavior. "Give Valerie a kiss!"

" Yeah yeah"! She laughs. "Goodbye! "

She greeted the three of them and left the room. Hank got up at the same time, stretching.

"Well, we're going too. Connor will drive you home, Gavin. I'll follow you in my car to pick him up afterward. "

"Okay ..." Gavin said with a shrug. " Thank you. "

Connor gave the sergeant an amused look and the sergeant gave him a middle finger, telling him not to take too much liking to his thanks. Connor laughed and the three of them left the Hyde Out.

Gavin dozed off in the car from fatigue, alcohol, and the engine purring. He was resting his head against the window as Connor drove carefully through Detroit, which was less and less crowded these last hours. Gavin knew it was probably the only moment of the night he could get some rest. Since April 22, his hours of sleep could be counted on one hand's fingers. He already managed to have five hours straight, but that's when he was to the hospital on morphine. Now all that was left was the torment and absence of Conrad to keep him from sleeping, the physical aches having subsided since the accident.

He was brought back to reality when the engine stopped, and he looked up, his mind a little foggy. He looked at Connor to his left, who was watching him too.

"We're here Gavin." He said as he unbuckled his seat belt. "Do you need help going up? "

"Hm… No that will be fine. Than- "He stopped and threw a look at Connor who gave an amused smile. "Thanksgiving. I was going to say Thanksgiving. "

"It makes perfect sense indeed. "

Connor laughed and bent down to undo the human's belt. Gavin stretched a bit and gathered his courage to get out of the car. Connor did the same, locked the Dodge after the doors were closed, and handed the keys to Gavin.

"See you tomorrow Sergeant Reed."The android smiled.

"See you tomorrow, Data," Gavin said, taking the keys.

Connor understood the reference to the Star Trek android and felt almost flattered. Hank had told him about it before, and he was one of his favorite characters. Connor had vowed to watch the famous series with the lieutenant someday.

Gavin saw Connor getting into Hank's car, and then watched them go. He entered the building and took the elevator with a sigh. His head was spinning a little, but he was now way too awake. He was sure to be curling up on the couch with his donuts and watching Netflix until the alarm will ring at six in the morning...

He got out of the elevator and silently walked down the hall, not wanting to wake the neighbors when it was now past two in the morning.

He entered his apartment, put his jacket as usual on the kitchen's chair, and closed the door. He turned on the light and immediately closed his eyes, assaulted by the sudden brightness of the room. He now needed a pain killer.

He walked over to the kitchen to grab a glass of water and fill it at the sink and started looking in the drawers to see if there was a box lying around, but there wasn't. Too bad, he would ask Chris tomorrow morning at work.

He drank the glass of water anyway to cool himself down and keep him from getting too dehydrated and turned to put the glass on the counter.

The glass fell to the floor because of what he saw.


	30. How The Heart Works

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin finds himself facing the person he has been waiting for the most in months. He doesn't know if it's a hallucination or if it's reality, but he's frozen. He sees him approaching him. He looks real. Everything seems real ...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I am happy (and sad at the same time) to share with you today the last chapter of this fiction which has the same title as the fiction itself! I hope with all my heart that you enjoyed the story and its characters! Please note that I am working on an Epilogue (the famous additional chapter that I spoke about in previous chapters). It has 3K for the moment but I intend to at least do 9K for this Epilogue which will be called "New Horizons", which will give a more orderly ending for all the characters, and also an open ending on the interpretation! I am really happy I had you by my side throughout this adventure! I hope to see you on my new projects! Shadow Of Detroit is already online! A big thanks to all of you! Without you, the motivation wouldn't have been there! Love You!
> 
> WARNING: NSFW! (Explicit sex scene and explicit language, with a blowjob, anal sex, and handjob...) and also emotional shock (denial, confusion, loss of control).

His whole body froze. His mouth was parted in astonishment, and his eyes wide, riveted on the person sitting on his couch, cuddling Perry on his lap.

His heart pounded briskly as he met the icy eyes that stared at him across the room. Gavin was leaning against his counter, paralyzed, not knowing what to do. His body screamed to run towards him, and cry, but his muscles wouldn't move.

The android slowly rose from the couch, forcing the cat off his knees, and moved towards the kitchen. A smile began to stretch his lips softly, causing a glim of tenderness in his eyes.

Still paralyzed, lips parted in a desperate search for air as his chest heaved rapidly from his excessively high heartbeat, Gavin felt his throat tightening and tears clouding his sight.

The android stopped at his height, emotions swirling like a hurricane through his programmings, causing his processor and thirium to overheat. His pomp was pounding in his chest, and his sight clouded with warnings which he immediately dismissed so he could watch him.

" _I tracked down your phone to find you .._." Conrad said in a low voice so as not to disturb the human who was about to break down. " _But_ …" He ran his tongue over his lips, still stretched in a smile. " _You forgot your phone here .._."

This voice.

Gavin gasped for oxygen. His legs were starting to shake and threatened to give way under his own weight. He wanted to say something, but his emotions were far too messy and too intense to formulate anything.

Conrad gently raised his hand and brought it closer to the human's face, the skin instinctively retracting. When his fingers touched his cheek, he received an electric wave running through his circuits, causing Gavin to tremble under his touch. He placed his white hand more openly on his human's cheek, interfacing with him, and Gavin let out a whine or rather a muffled sob.

Gavin could feel him in his head, in his being, in every cell of his body. His breathing became more irregular as the tears began to silently roll down his cheeks, his lips trembling.

" _I'm here... "_

Gavin finally managed to move and raised his own hand to rest it on the android's, against his cheek. He let his face pressing against it and was suddenly relieved, starting to sob as he clutched his fingers to his.

" _C-Conrad .._."

"I'm here Gavin ..."

Gavin suddenly burst into tears, swinging his arms around the android's neck, hugging him tightly to his body. Conrad responded powerfully to the hug, tears also starting to roll down his cheeks. Gavin clung to him as his life depended on it, afraid it would all be a dream again and he would wake up all alone. But he felt Conrad in his head, he was feeling him. He was there, for real. His cheek against his kept the connection alive, and Gavin got lost in his lover's mind a bit more.

The android nestled his face in the human's neck, gently rubbing his nose against the skin as if to absorb his scent. He had smelt him for the past few months, heard his voice, felt his touch, but now he was aware and able to truly interact with him. It was a release and so good.

" _I-I thought it was over…_ " Gavin whispered, face buried in the android's neck. " _I thought I would_ _n_ _ever see you again Conrad ..._ "

"I made you a promise ..." the android kissed the thin skin on his neck. "I will never give up on you ..."

Gavin let go of a bit of their embrace to grab Conrad's lips and kiss him as he had never kissed him before. A wave of relief passed through each other, making them sigh with pleasure, catching their lips over and over again as they pressed together, their hands gripping the clothes, shoulders, and hips.

Gavin had to reluctantly break the kiss, having to breathe but rested his forehead against Conrad's, his eyes closed for a few seconds longer to savor his presence, feeling his android's hands move up to his cheeks to brush them gently.

He was jubilant inside. All the pain was gone, giving way only to the relief, the euphoria, and the satisfaction of being able to touch Conrad and be touched in return. As he reopened his eyes, his gaze locked into those of the icy android's that had watched him from the start, gently wiping his tear-wet cheeks. Gavin craned his neck slightly so he could kiss him tenderly again.

" _How did you get out of your coma .._?" Gavin asked, his voice still too uncertain to speak louder than a whisper. " _I couldn't unlock you ..."_

"But you actually did ..." Conrad smiled tenderly before pressing his lips gently against his again. "You kissed me ..."

"I must have been doing this a dozen times a day for the past two months, Conrad…" He smirked, enjoying his lover's name rolling on his tongue.

"Yes…" Conrad smiled back, creating slight creases in the corners of his eyes. "I know, I felt it… I felt it all and heard it all…" He brushed Gavin's lips with his, mixing their breaths. "I was talking about my LED ..."

Gavin couldn't help but kiss him again, his lips brushing his a sweet torment he couldn't fight against.

Still, he was focused enough to understand and pick up on Conrad's last sentence. So that was the solution: a kiss on his LED. Gavin couldn't suppress a smile against his android's lips before pulling away and staring innocently at him.

"Connor told me you were the one setting up this stuff ..." Conrad nodded in confirmation, causing Gavin to smile more. "You are a romantic. "

Conrad let out a small chuckle that resonated right through to Gavin, who still couldn't take his eyes off him. He found him even more beautiful than before, and he felt like he loved him more as the seconds passed.

He slowly raised his hand to stroke Conrad's blue LED, finding that the color looked much better on him than the ominous red he had seen all the time for the past few months. His fingers deviated towards the thin white scar that crossed the right part of his face vertically. Conrad had seen the state of his face, and for a moment he had been afraid that Gavin would be repelled by that mark, although being thin was very noticeable, and would reject him. But Gavin had been with him for the past few months, he knew full well that he had this scar from the start, and he had always come to see him, with the same energy, the same determination, and the same hope that someday he would wake up.

"I… I'm sorry for the scar…"

He got a small smack on the cheek as an answer which surprised him, making his LED spin in yellow under the unexpected gesture. Gavin wasn't angry, just annoyed.

"Don't apologize for something you are not responsible for," Gavin said, placing his index finger on the lips of the android, preventing him from saying anything. "This scar is part of you, of your history, of your experiences in life, Conrad… And it makes you even more charming…"

Gavin suddenly felt his face heat up and take on a pinkish hue as he realized what he had just said. It was a lot easier to tell him that sort of thing when Conrad wasn't able to pierce him with his icy eyes and possibly answer him. But he didn't answer. Instead, he kissed him again and Gavin melted against him.

" _I can't believe you're really here ..._ " Gavin whispered between kisses, catching his breath.

"And I can't believe I can finally see you and really touch you ..."

Gavin couldn't suppress a smile and kissed him again. He had missed him too much. He had been puffed up with hope at the end of the day that things could get better, and he clearly hadn't expected the android to be in his house when he got home. It was a very pleasant surprise.

Gavin pulled away from Conrad a bit and stared at him again.

" _Come_... "

Gavin was the first to move, peeling off his kitchen counter and heading for his bedroom, gently pulling Conrad by the hand to follow him. Gavin was going to be very, very, very clingy, it was inevitable, and he didn't care what the android could think of him. He had been afraid of losing him, he had felt lonely for the past few months and had been distressed that Conrad would never come back to him. Now that he was here, now that Gavin could finally feel himself breathe and live again, he wasn't going to let him go.

Once in the bedroom, silently, Gavin began to unbutton Conrad's black shirt, his gaze juggling between the buttons and the android's blue eyes, who looked at him in fascination. With the shirt now opened, Gavin let his eyes roam over the mole-strewn alabaster chest and gently ran his fingers over his skin, creating lovely blue waves under his touch. He looked up at Conrad and the latter grabbed his lips, cupping his face.

Gavin let out a muffled moan, startled by the sudden fervor of the android kissing him. Conrad took a few steps forward, and Gavin was forced to back up to the bed and ended up sitting on the edge of the mattress, breaking the contact. Conrad then climbed on top of him, one thigh on either side of his own, while pressing his body to his to seal his lips to the humans again. The android's hands ventured under Gavin's t-shirt, stroking his skin almost greedily and with lust, clawing delicately at times. Gavin sighed against his lips, suppressing a small gasp of surprise as his fingernails gently bruised his skin.

Conrad broke the kiss again to pull back a bit before pulling Gavin's top off and throwing it casually on the floor. The human took the opportunity to grab the android's open shirt and slide it down his shoulders. His mouth came up to kiss his neck and collarbone in the process, eliciting a sigh from the android, who had closed his eyes in pleasure. When the shirt fell to the floor, Conrad leaned back a bit, giving Gavin access to do whatever he wanted. And the latter did not deprive himself of it.

His mouth came up to kiss the thin skin of his neck with lust, biting it lightly at times, shaking Conrad's body in small spasms. The hands of the android slid into the back of Gavin's neck, running his fingers through his hair, gripping his shoulder so as not to tip back.

Gavin began to nibble on his collarbone, pushing Conrad to moan and causing his skin to retract under the gentle abuse. The human let out a small growl of satisfaction as he ran his lips lower along his skin, and ran his tongue over his nipple.

_"Hhhh ... Gavin ..._ "

The android bit his lower lip, his eyes closed, before sighing loudly in pleasure, burying his fingers more spiritedly in Gavin's hair.

The human smirked against his chest. He had missed hearing him utter such indecent sounds. He had missed all of Conrad. The human started to bustle on the android's belt buckle but received a slap on his hands and looked up at the android curiously.

Conrad, his gaze burning, gave him a mischievous grin before getting up from Gavin's thighs to undo his belt himself.

"You deprive me of this pleasure ..?" Gavin made a fake pout in disappointment. The sight pleased him greatly, actually.

" Every cloud has a silver lining ... "

The tone Conrad had just taken made Gavin's already hard member pulsate in his jeans. The android undid his dark gray jeans and slowly moved them down his hips and legs. His gaze was fixed on Gavin's. It was clearly a provocation. Gavin absently ran his tongue over his lower lip, then tightened his jaw in anticipation.

Conrad began to kneel in front of Gavin and proceeded to unbutton his jeans, languidly squeezing his hand on the way over the bulge straining the fabric. Gavin closed his eyes, gently rocking his head back with a sigh. The android lifted the human's hips, pulling his jeans down to his knees, then taking them completely off. Conrad spread his thighs in front of him and walked in between, still on his knees. Gavin bit his lip, knowing well what was to come. The android lowered the boxers slightly to release the member in front of his eyes. He raised them to the human's, who was watching him with dilated pupils. Conrad began to masturbate him gently, making the human sigh loudly, his lips parted.

No longer holding it, Conrad brought his lips closer to the hard cock and ran his tongue down its length from base to tip.

_"Hhhh damn ..._ "

Frowning in pleasure, Gavin stared at Conrad licking his cock with the tip of his tongue, only frustrating and turning him on further. The android's icy blue eyes were fixed on Gavin's as he tried to run his tongue up and down, causing the member to throb in the process.

It was the first time the two of them were doing this. Before the accident, Gavin and Conrad had only been able to enjoy their relationship for two weeks. They had explored each other during that time, touched each other, had sex a few times, but hadn't taken the time to go that far, for fun.

_"For fuck sake Conrad take it ..."_

Conrad gave an amused smile, then straightened up and swallowed his human's whole length deep down his throat.

Gavin jumped at the pleasant surprise and intense pleasure that suddenly took him like a storm. His fingers instinctively ran through the android's hair and then grabbed it, his mouth parted as Conrad was bobbing his head on his cock, taking him whole each time.

"Oh fuck ..!" Gavin bit his lip painfully as he watched Conrad doing so. "Have you been doing this your whole life or wh-"

Conrad let out a growl that made Gavin shut up and rolled his eyes, having felt the vibrations of his throat spreading throughout his length.

Conrad continued to bob his head back and forth, dragging the human's cock all the way down his tongue into his throat, lubricating it profusely with his saliva in the process. It was the first time Conrad was doing this, and it sure wouldn't be the last. To feel Gavin shake, throb in his mouth, and give him that longing greedy look as he swallowed him was exhilarating.

Starting to overheat from the lack of fresh air, Conrad was forced to pull back, panting hard, a trickle of artificial saliva connecting his lips to the cock in front of him. Gavin watched him breathlessly, a smirk with such a sight of his android. The lips parted, panting, eyes burning with desire, and cheeks blushing all blue. He was beautiful.

Gavin leaned over slightly to grab his lover's chin between his fingers and pull him up. Standing again, Gavin kissed his stomach, then put his index finger under the elastic of the black boxers. He pulled it off him then, taking the hard cock of his android between his fingers and masturbating him vigorously. Conrad frowned in pleasure as he felt the static electricity run through his body, causing a pleasant sensation under his skin. Gavin then invited him to come back on his lap while completely removing his own boxers, not being able to wait any longer. He didn't have to be told twice, and the android climbed over him again, deliciously knocking their erections together.

The intoxicating touch made them sigh in unison, instantly melting them on each other's lips in a hot and wet kiss. Their tongues caressed in a frenzied dance, pushing their hips to squeeze together for more friction and sensations.

" _Gavin ... please .._."

Conrad's voice was pleading, and Gavin was about to drive crazy. He won't be prayed for, although the thought drew a small smile from him, his lips against his lover's again.

The human broke the kiss to tell his android to do what he wanted, and Conrad straightened up on his knees on the mattress, to slowly but surely slide over his human's cock. Gavin instinctively gripped the android's hips as he moaned, delighted to feel Conrad's warmth and tightness around him again. The android's fingers dug into the shoulders in front of him, involuntarily contracting around the length inside him as the intrusion was pleasant.

Once fully seated, impaled to the base, Conrad fixed his gaze on Gavin's, who was staring at him with half-closed eyes. He then pressed his chest to his, wrapping his arms around his shoulders, and began to languidly move his hips, sliding Gavin between his flesh.

Gavin wrapped his arms around Conrad's lower back while tilting his chin up to him, sighing in relief and well-being. Conrad sealed his lips to his as he continued to move back and forth, stimulating both the inside of his body and his erection against the human's stomach. The angle was perfect, Gavin's cock was pressing with every movement against that sensitive area deep inside him, sending a pleasant little jolt all over his body.

The moans started to get louder as the movements grew wider and deeper. Gavin fell backward, his hands resting on his android's hips, and began to thrust, supporting himself on his legs, still resting on the floor on the edge of the bed.

Conrad let out a cry of surprise and pleasure at the suddenly stronger pace, and tilted his head back, letting Gavin moving with more force and vigor as Conrad lifted himself slightly with the help of his thighs.

Gavin bit his lip at the sight. He was fully aware of what was happening, and yet he found it hard to believe it was real. It was too good to be true. But it was, and Conrad moaned louder and louder, dropping his name at times like a plea while sliding his fingers over his human's stomach as his hips were thrusting inside him.

Conrad leaned over Gavin, his elbows against the mattress on either side of his head, and took over, pounding his lover with frenzy and greed. The human let out a cry of pleasure as he clutched at his android's ass that slammed against his thighs. Their lips gripped each other with fervor and violence, their bodies shaking more and more every second.

Instinctively, Gavin's hand wrapped around Conrad's hard cock, gripping it in a rhythm just as fast as the penetration. His body was seized by slight spasms, causing him to tense around Gavin, making the human moan even louder.

Conrad's voice was a treat for Gavin. He had been careful not to make any noises in the hallway on his way home so as not to wake the neighbors, but the neighbors must be wide awake by now from their performance. And Gavin didn't care. All he wanted was to make his lover scream even louder and make him see the stars.

He let go of the android for a few seconds to press him against him, and with a thrust, he tipped him onto the side. Conrad then found himself lying on his back, breathing erratic, thighs still spread, and Gavin in between, still inside him.

The android looked at him in surprise, his icy eyes shining almost in the darkness as the fire of pleasure consumed him, and his blue cheeks irrigated by thirium. Gavin gave a mischievous smile, running his tongue over his lower lip as he grabbed Conrad's thighs to resume his thrusts.

Conrad arched in pleasure, burying his head in the mattress with a long moan. He wasn't ashamed to be so loud. He knew Gavin liked it, and it wasn't like he could help himself. The only way to silence him would be to deactivate his artificial vocal cords or to gag him. This last idea made him smile and vowed to experiment again.

The temperature of his bio-components was almost critical, and with each thrust, Conrad felt that pressure rise, feeling himself dangerously approaching the edge.

" _G-Gavin…_ " The human raised an eyebrow. " _I-I'm_ _…_ " Conrad closed his eyes tightly, biting his lower lip. " _H-Hhaa… I-I ..!_ "

Gavin quickened his thrusts, a hungry smile on his lips. He felt his cock gently warming up more and more, tugging at the pit of his lower abdomen as his thighs slammed against the androids.

Conrad's thighs began to shake violently, breathless, the LED flashing red on his temple and looking at him with half-lidded eyes. He let out a long groan that resonated throughout the room when he suddenly came onto his stomach, his lips parted.

His whole body contracted, shaking with spasms, and that was enough to tip Gavin over the edge. He buried himself inside the android, rolling his eyes, moaning as he slowly thrust his hips as he came.

Conrad looked at Gavin in ecstasy and sighed in satisfaction as he closed his eyes for a few seconds, smiling. He opened them again when he felt Gavin lean over him and gently grab his lips in a soft and passionate kiss. He gently wrapped his arms around his neck, still numb from the glitches and his previously over-saturated memory, and happily responded to the kiss while feeling their hearts pounding against each other through their chests.

Gavin released his lips to breathe, his breath still erratic, and fixed his eyes into Conrad's. The latter smiled, his LED blue again, and cupped the human's face.

" _I love you..._ "

Gavin's heart skipped a beat but he smiled. He sealed his lips to Conrad's again to kiss him tenderly, then rested his forehead against his while looking at him lovingly.

" _And I love you even more ..._ "

Conrad smiled. He made him happy as no one else could. Gavin smiled back and lost himself in his gaze. Conrad was there, and now Gavin could breathe again and feel his heart beating again. Without him, nothing made sense, but by his side, Gavin felt alive and ready to do anything to make it last.

Love is something unexpected, something we don't always understand, and even when its chemistry prompts us to do irrational things, basically everything ends up falling in place and appearing crystal clear. Therefore, we can no longer see otherwise than through this feeling of belonging and wholeness. It's a natural drug against panic, anxiety, and anger. Gavin had understood it late, but he had come to accept it and he didn't regret it. Like it or not, Gavin was in love with Conrad, and after experiencing a moment in his life without him, he didn't want to repeat the experience. Never. Five months ago, he never thought he could fall in love with anyone, even less an android, but look at him, he was here now.

It's sometimes illogical, contradictory, but hey... this is how the heart works.


	31. Epilogue : New Horizons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Conrad returns to the police station to finally find his colleagues and friends in a moving reunion. He learns more about what happened with the Stern case from Connor who shares his memories with him, and Gavin officially becomes a sergeant. They learn the outcome of Stern's trial as well as what happened to the RK1000. As things slowly return to normal, Conrad and Gavin head to a party hosted by Tina, which will spark some ideas for the future...
> 
> NSFW! (Explicit sex scene and explicit language with anal sex, and handjob...) and fluff, fluff, and fluff!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is as expected this Epilogue which is titled like the Animal Crossing game! xD It took a long time to write it, forgive me, but with my new studies, my other fiction and the end of year celebrations, I couldn't finish it sooner! I hope you are all well, dear readers, that this new year 2021 will be much better in every way, and above all, that this chapter (fifteen kilometers long!) Will please you! :D Feel free to leave comments, and take a look at my other fiction!

He'd been locked in the bathroom for over ten minutes, already dressed. His hands were resting on the edge of the sink, and he was watching himself in the mirror. His steel-blue eyes stared at that thin white line that crossed the right side of his face, from up to down. He knew he shouldn't dwell too much on this detail which, however, was clearly visible and unmistakable. Everyone would see this old crack which, because of the solder, prevented his artificial skin from covering it and therefore hiding it. It was there, clearly visible, and there was nothing he could do about it.

His gaze moved away from the mirror when he heard a few knocks on the bathroom door.

"Conrad ..?" Gavin's voice said from behind. "Everything's fine? There's no more make noise …"

Conrad pushed himself off the sink and walked over to the door to open it. He found the human in front of him, ready to start the day, but a look of concern on his face.

"I'm fine, I…" Conrad paused, searching for his words. "I was… still looking at it. "

"Con…"

Gavin broke the few feet between them to raise his hands and cup the android's face. Conrad let himself be touched without protesting, he still needed that contact with Gavin, more than before he fell from the building. It was something now essential for his proper functioning. He'd spent months in a coma, and physical contact with his human had been the only concrete thing he'd felt during that time, and which had reassured him. He'd been able to hear him too, but the gentleness and the feelings Gavin had put in his actions had been a much more powerful source of comfort.

This separation and inability to communicate back with him had left a great void in Conrad. It was obviously way too cold, and he needed Gavin to feel complete, even if he was clingy now.

He felt Gavin's fingers gently stroke his face and Conrad closed his eyes, almost purring under the touch. Gavin smirked when he saw his lover in such a state and craned his neck to press his lips to his. Instinctively, Conrad wrapped his arms around his body to pull him closer and respond to the kiss.

Gavin sighed against him, his eyes closed as well, then gently broke the kiss while resting his forehead against the android's, and remain pressed against him.

"It's gonna be alright, okay ..?"

"I don't know ... It's been so long…"

"Hey..." Gavin said, pulling back a little to meet his gaze. "I was also anxious about going back to work a few months ago ... But you don't have to go back okay ..? If you're coming with me today, it's just to see some people again, and speak with Fowler too."

"I don't want to leave you alone."

"I won't be alone, Conrad…"

"I don't want to be alone…"

Gavin felt a sting in his heart and his throat tighten. Obviously, he didn't want to leave Conrad alone either, and he even just wanted to stay home with him, in bed, cuddling, kissing, making love, watching movies, and cuddling with Perry.

Gavin had proposed the idea to Conrad, but the android had refused, he didn't want to penalize the human as he had a new rank and therefore new responsibilities. Then basically Conrad wanted to see Connor, Hank, Tina, Chris, everyone actually.

"Anyway, today it's paperwork." Gavin smiled, wrapping his arms around his neck. "You can stay with me if you want."

"I want."

Gavin couldn't help but smile and he kissed him again, tenderly, and long to savor the touch. He didn't want to live ever again what he'd been through the last few months, he'd stated he was going to be clingy. He had missed Conrad too much. Just yesterday, Gavin thought he would never wake up, but today Conrad was there, kissing him, in the hallway of his apartment after a long night of restfulness, enjoying the presence of each other, and kissing again and again.

"We're going to be late, Sergeant Reed…"

Gavin chuckled softly as he pulled away from Conrad, giving him a gentle pat on the shoulder. He'd complained at first that his android still called him by his title, but now, to hear him say _Sergeant_ was almost sexy.

"Nobody knows yet that you're back, you have to let them wait for you a little more, what do you think about it ?"

"I don't think you enjoyed _that_ ," Conrad said, following Gavin into the hall to get his things.

"Um, no indeed, I think you made me wait far too much for my taste."

"You just had to kiss me."

"I didn't know you were the Sleeping Beauty, sorry ..!"

Conrad let out a small laugh that warmed Gavin's heart and smiled tenderly. The human caught his lips again for a few seconds.

"I still can't realize you're really here…" Gavin whispered, his lips close to his.

"I am here, Gavin …"

Conrad kissed him again, he couldn't get over it and didn't want to do without it at all. If he could spend his time hanging on his human's lips, he would.

Gavin pulled away from him, a genuine smile stretching his lips. He sighed, shook his head, and grabbed his keys before opening the front door. He asked Perry again not to do too much trouble while they were out, and the cat answered with an almost annoyed meow.

"You heard how he talks to me ..!" Gavin said falsely angry as he stepped out of the apartment. "He's impossible..!"

Conrad couldn't help but smile seeing his lover in such a good mood. He felt much more alive with seeing him overflowing with energy and not having that anguish in his voice or his eyes anymore. Sometimes still, Gavin would give him worried looks, as if wondering if Conrad wasn't about to evaporate in a minute, and Conrad would take his hand at such times to reassure him and prove him he was really there.

The ride to the police station was a cheerful one, Gavin was telling Conrad how the night had gone to the Hyde Out, the night before. He hadn't really had a chance to tell him about it, he'd had other priorities, like making sure he was real, kissing him, or touching him. Conrad was pleasantly surprised to learn that Gavin was good at darts and that his relationship with Connor had improved as well. He was so proud of Gavin that he stared at him the entire way, a smirk stuck on his lips as the human continued to speak, his eyes focused on the road, and expressing his good humor.

Conrad wanted to see Gavin like this every day. Conrad wanted Gavin to be happy and he wanted to be around to see that. As long as possible.

Gavin parked the car in the precinct's parking lot, and when he turned the engine off, a heavy silence fell. He turned his head to the android, which suddenly seemed tense.

"It's gonna be alright," Gavin smiled and put his hand on his thigh. "I'll be there, and they're all gonna be happy to see you again."

"You sure.. ?"

"I don't even understand why you're doubting, honey…"

Conrad smiled as he felt his cheeks heating up, revealing a slight bluish hue. Gavin winked at him - at least tried without closing the other eye - and patted his thigh to comfort and motivate him.

"Here we go Robocop!"

They got out of the car and both headed for the precinct. Some of the officers outside recognized Conrad and looked at him with wide eyes, not daring to say anything.

They walked through the automatic doors and Eliana suddenly rose from her chair behind the reception, her mouth ajar and the LED flashing frantically yellow in surprise.

"I know," Gavin said half-amused, noticing the ST300. "Got the same reaction last night ..!"

She gave Conrad a big smile, which was far different from the ones she normally gives to greet people in her work. This one was sincere, the android was really happy to see him again.

Conrad responded to her smile, and he felt the stress dissipate a bit. Maybe he didn't have any reason to worry ..?

They passed the portico and glass doors before heading to their desks. There weren't many people there yet, and only Ben was at his desk with Leo, the PC200. Only, they were both too focused on a file to choose to raise their heads.

But someone noticed them too shortly after, and he stepped out of his fish tank, his mouth half-open in amazement. Gavin glanced at his captain, a smile on his face. He'd never seen him wearing that expression.

"In my office, both of you."

Conrad glanced worriedly at Gavin, but the latter looked at him confidently, still grinning. Gavin hadn't smiled so much since… He didn't know. But he had been smiling so much since this morning that his jaw was already hurting!

By hearing their captain's voice, Leo and Ben had finally lifted their heads and froze, both of them silent while looking at Conrad who was walking with Gavin to Fowler's office. The android gave them a friendly look, and the two partners looked at each other confused as if to make sure they had seen the same thing.

With the office door closed behind them, Fowler remained standing in front of them.

" Well," He shook his head. " It's... !" He clapped a hand to his chest. "I can't find my words."

"I was in a much worse shape last night," Gavin pointed out. "I still have a hard time realizing."

"I'm really… glad to see you again, Conrad," Fowler said, extending his hand to him.

"It's good to be back and to see you again too," Conrad replied, shaking his hand.

Fowler invited them to sit down and activated the opacity of his glass walls for more privacy. He settled down behind his desk.

" But how is that possible?"

"Sergeant Reed has found the right combination to unlock me," Conrad said avoiding talking about the kiss. "It took me a while to wake up and be operational again, but I was able to find him yesterday after the party."

"It must have been a shock to you, Reed …"

"Oh ... yeah..." Gavin said, sighing to release the tension. "But it was quite a surprise. Intense but pleasant ..!" He glanced at the android. "And eagerly awaited …"

Fowler smirked despite himself. He couldn't blame his sergeant for feeling happy to find his partner and also his significant other. And that good humor, coupled with the good news, also made Fowler satisfied.

"I have to ask you a question now, Conrad." Fowler resumed, a little more seriously. "Do you still want to team up with Sergeant Reed?"

"Absolutely," Conrad replied confidently. "I want to keep working at the DPD, and by Sergeant Reed's side, this despite the accident."

"That's all I wanted to know," Fowler smirked. "But let's face it, your relationship shouldn't interfere with your work in any way, okay? "

"Alright," Gavin said.

Conrad glanced at Gavin, startled. He didn't know Fowler knew about their relationship. Something Gavin probably forgot to mention on his daily visits, but he didn't hold it against him. The situation was unexpected but in the end, everything was fine.

Fowler spoke to them for a few more minutes about what happened next, that they would both still be assigned to paperwork, by the time Gavin received his new plaque and is emotionally recovered. Gavin hated paperwork, but if it was with Conrad, then he wouldn't complain.

When they came out of the office and walked over to their desks, a dull and heavy sound echoed throughout the open space, as if someone had just dropped a large binder on the floor. Conrad quickly spotted the source of the sound: in the alley between the desks and the islands, a cardboard box was on the floor with files inside. Just behind Connor was standing in the middle of the path, arms along the body and slightly apart, his face frozen by confusion and amazement.

Conrad felt his pump missing a beat when he saw the RK800 a few meters in front of him and had also frozen, both happy and full of apprehension. His throat tightened and his artificial breath stopped working for a few seconds. He'd seen and heard Connor when he was in New Jericho, but he'd never been able to interface with him because of the coma. Conrad knew Connor wasn't reset regarding his kidnapping by Stern, but it was the first time he saw him again after that night over there.

"Nines …"

Connor took a deep breath to cool himself, he'd unwillingly stopped breathing too by seeing his brother in front of him. He carefully stepped over the box at his feet and strode forward, straight toward the RK900, ignoring everyone around them. He reached him without slowing down and Connor crashed his body against Conrad, looping his arms around his neck, and powerfully pressing himself against his brother.

Conrad immediately responded to the hug, feeling the remaining stress melt away completely at the touch. Their pumps were beating against their chassis and echoing together. It was a very reassuring experience for both of them.

"You're really there..? "

"Yes ..." Conrad tightened his grip a little while controlling his strength. "I'm here…"

Connor was suddenly shaken by small sobs and buried his face in his brother's neck, gripping his jacket at the collar. Conrad tried to comfort him by stroking his back, and then glanced at Gavin right next to them, who was watching them with a small tight smile and an emotional look.

The human could not last very long in front of the sentimental scene exposed before him and felt his eyes clouding with tears. He looked away, out of pride and not wanting to disturb the moment between Conrad and Connor.

He suddenly felt an arm pulling him and he found himself trapped against Connor and Conrad, the latter's arm preventing him from escaping.

"Hello Sergeant Reed," Connor laughed nervously against Conrad as he wiped his artificial tears against his jacket, his face not far from Gavin's. "I thought… you didn't know how to wake him up…"

Gavin didn't answer right away, nestling his face against Conrad's opposite shoulder, his arm pressed against Connor's. He'd never been so close to him, but he wasn't going to complain. It was Conrad's day, if he wanted to hug them both at the same time, Gavin would accept it. And it wasn't that bad anyway. It was a collective hug with a great friend and his significant other. It could be a lot worse.

He knew that the relationship between Conrad and Connor was identical to that of two brothers and that it was platonic love, even despite the kiss they had both shared a few months ago and which had brought doubt and confusion.

Gavin wasn't questioning Conrad's feelings for him at all. He was allowed to have affection for other people as well.

Gavin tightened his embrace a bit, hugging Connor on the way. They were right in the middle of the open space but fuck it, that felt good. He didn't care that somebody could observe them, look at them askance, or judge them. Gavin had seen enough like this lately, he had the right to let go a bit. Fuck the others.

They then parted, each one wiping their tears silently. Gavin realized that no one had actually really looked at them. It was still better that way.

Connor gave Gavin an embarrassed look and finally let out a chuckle.

"You didn't answer me," the RK800 said, looking at Gavin. " How? Or what? "

Gavin then explained to Connor the action he did the day before had worked without knowing, and that Conrad was already waiting at his apartment when Connor had driven him back home. He obviously didn't go into the details of what happened next, it was private and only theirs. Gavin liked Connor, but not to the point of telling him about his sex life.

"Damn it!"

Everyone turned when they heard a growl in the open space and mayhem. Connor opened his mouth in awe as he saw Hank standing at one of the islands, his feet tangled in the box and the files sprawled on the floor.

He hastened to help him up. He hadn't fallen, but it was a close one.

"Sorry Hank, I left the box on the floor, I should have-"

"Conrad ..?"

Hank kept his hand on Connor's shoulders to stand while the latter was busy helping to recover. He looked at him as if he'd seen a ghost, and his gaze juggled between the RK900 and Gavin. The lieutenant finally gave a happy little laugh before shaking his head and gently shifting away from Connor.

"That's the kind of surprise I like to have in the morning." He smirked before looking at Connor. "And pick up this box for me before someone dies please Connor."

"Y-Yes Hank ..!"

Hank moved closer to Conrad as Connor crouched down for a few seconds to pick up the files. The lieutenant kindly put his hand on his shoulder, his gaze deep in the androids.

"It feels good to see you awake, kid…"

"It's good to be back, yes..." Conrad replied, a warm smile on his lips.

"I know things have gone wrong… And I still blame myself today for what happened to you and Gavin. It's my fault you went to that club, I'm the one who didn't watch for Connor that night… It's all my f- "

"No Hank ..." Conrad said, shaking his head gently. " It's not your fault. It's Sterns. The most important thing is that everything is going well, right?"

"You're right ..." Hank smiled while patting friendly his shoulder. "You've found the right partner, Reed."

Conrad turned his head to his lover, raising an eyebrow. Did Hank know? Well, maybe the lieutenant was speaking on a professional and not a private level. He watched carefully his lover's face who was blushing, clearly embarrassed.

"We're gonna keep working together, yes," Gavin muttered into his hand that had muffled his mouth.

"I wasn't talking about this, but I understand you don't want to talk about it with me. Anyway, I'm happy for you, for both of you. Really."

Hank let go of Conrad to return to Connor who had put the box on his own desk. The work awaited them, they still had a lot to do.

Conrad and Gavin returned to their respective desks to focus on their work as well. The android took the opportunity to quickly consult the latest information entered at the police station.

Chris came to see them at the end of the morning, and Tina saw them just before the lunch break. The young woman had cried like an old lady when she saw the android again. She'd been particularly touched by what had happened in the alley that night. She had seen him in this awful state, she'd been supportive of Gavin the rest of the time, even in the harshest, darkest moments when Gavin had had dark thoughts. Conrad had also hugged the woman to thank her for all she'd done for Gavin while he wasn't there. She felt proud that she'd passed this test for Gavin, and Conrad.

Everyone was really happy to see the android again after all this time of absence and tension.

In the afternoon, Connor asked Gavin if he and Nines could meet for a few minutes in private to chat.

"Obviously you do whatever you want, but don't stray too far... I ... need to know around."

"Don't worry," Connor smiled before turning to Conrad. "Come on, I booked the interrogation room for an hour."

Conrad nodded, leaned over to Gavin, and kissed the top of his head. The human froze and turned red again before looking up at his android, a smirk on his lips.

"I'll be back," Conrad said, quietly stroking Gavin's hand on the desk, retracting his synthetic skin. " I'm here... "

" I know…"

Gavin let himself be invaded for a few seconds by Conrad's presence in his whole being thanks to the contact and gave a soft smile, more relaxed.

The android winked at him, squeezed his hand gently, and let go before joining Connor who was waiting for him down the hall. They both entered the room.

"I…" Connor started nervously, locking the door behind him. "I wanted to… thank you Nines… for what you did that day… for me…"

"You would have done the same for me, Connor…" Conrad leaned against the table. "I just couldn't let him hurt you… and lose you…"

Connor pursed his lips and nodded softly as he approached him. He mechanically was rubbing his palms against each other nervously, as if something was itching.

"I'd like to show you..." Connor began, setting his gaze on Conrad's. "...what happened that night ... So that you know how ... things had ended, and can see that ... that there's no more danger …"

Conrad huffed out a long breath. Connor had understood his feelings. Sure Conrad was alive, as were Gavin and Connor, but the RK900 didn't really know what happened next after the fall. He hadn't really taken the time to ask Gavin the day before or this morning. He wanted to know, but his priority had been his human. Gavin was above it all. It was for this reason that Conrad had chosen to go protecting him rather than abandoning and losing him, to stop Cain.

Thinking of the name again, Conrad frowned, wondering what had happened to the RK1000, but Connor looked at him while tilting slightly his head, waiting for a reaction to his offer.

"Yes," Conrad said, coming back to real life, fixing his gaze on his predecessor's. " I need to know…"

Connor gave him a small, emotional smile before pulling a chair and placing it next to the other one at the other end of the table. He invited Conrad to take a seat on one of them, and after sitting down, Connor moved to his side. The RK800 rested his arm on the table and turned his torso to face Conrad. The RK900 mimicked the gesture, resting his arm on the table in turn, and when they brushed their hands against each other, their synthetic skins retracted into a bluish ripple, revealing their shiny white chassis.

"Ready ?" Connor asked, his eyes still in Conrad's.

"Yes," he replied, sliding his hand down his brother's forearm before curling his articulated fingers just below his elbow. "I'm ready…"

Connor nodded softly then closed his eyes. Conrad did the same, the LED flashing yellow as he felt the connection build between him and Connor, then he was suddenly shot back into his memories.

He was in first person, just behind Connor's optical units, awakening in the Ground Zero's basement.

*******

His vision was blurred with messy error messages, warning him that his memory had been 13% corrupted after a forced reset attempt and that his regulator was still missing from its receptacle.

Connor blinked several times as his system rebooted and restored the corrupted data.

After a few seconds, the error messages one after another disappeared, clearing his vision. He was then able to focus his attention on his environment and was able to identify a storage room for wines and spirits bottles.

He turned his head to his left to see a computer on a table and a small tub of thirium tubing him up to his abdominal cavity. It was thanks to that, that he still had power and hadn't turned off once and for all.

Connor quickly scanned the room for an additional regulator. He had just calculated the travel time a car could take from Hank's to the Ground Zero. With his old regulator destroyed, the RK1000 couldn't have gotten Connor this far without a backup regulator, in which case he would have deactivated himself along the way.

Connor tried to sit up as the motors in his joints slowly restarted, but his gaze fell on the inert figure on the ground.

"Gavin ..?" Connor managed to get up from the chair, however still connected to the thirium tub. "Gavin ..!"

He quickly scanned the human but found nothing alarming other than slight head trauma. The android circled the small table to find what it was looking for, and eventually found the bio-component in a box at the bottom of the table. The regulator was still functional according to his scan, so he disconnected the wire from his abdomen to reach the regulator.

The countdown had just started, but it disappeared as soon as he nested the regulator in its slot. He took a deep breath, feeling the charge of energy stronger than the tub and the computer's, and sighed in relief.

He quickly knelt next to the detective and gently grabbed his head between his hands and rested it on his lap, in a half-laying position.

"Gavin ..? Do you hear me.. ?"

The human's face began to lightly twist into a scowl and Connor huffed in relief once again, his bio-components overheating slightly from apprehension.

"Oh thanks..." he said, raising his eyes briefly in relief before focusing his attention back on the human. "Can you hear me? Are you hurt?"

"Stern…"

Connor then asked Gavin where Stern had gone while calling for reinforcements but found that Conrad had already contacted them a few minutes earlier and that they were already on their way and should arrive shortly.

Gavin sat up, moaning in pain as he rubbed the back of his head, then told him what happened just before he fell and passed out: Stern's attempted arrest, Conrad who had disconnected Connor visibly just in time, and the man who punched him in the stomach to knock him back.

"He must have run away right after," Gavin said, standing up, wincing, Connor helping him to stand. "He can't be far," he said, looking at his watch. "It wasn't even five minutes ago. "  
"I'll take care of Stern," Connor said, closing his eyes briefly. "I just located Conrad, he's on Third Avenue, on the roofs of the Nympheas' apartments."

"Okay let's go..!"

Connor then raced through the cellar, climbed the steps three by three before entering the pub, still bustling with music and people drinking and dancing.

The RK800 made his way through the crowd, which didn't hesitate to step aside in front of him. It wasn't safe to stand in the way of a fast-paced android whose white shirt was stained with thirium. It couldn't close anymore because of the missing buttons, probably torn off when Cain had hastily opened it to get his regulator out.

Connor pushed the door open and finally found himself outside, in the pouring rain that had already started to flood the curbs. Quickly drenched in turn, Connor looked around, hoping to spot Stern's trail.

The rain wasn't helping, but he noticed a woman on the porch smoking. Her cigarette was almost finished, which meant she had been there for at least five minutes.

"Did you see a handcuffed man running out of here?" He asked, approaching her.

"Uh, I…" she looked at him up and down. His serious expression suddenly worried him. "Uh yes, an Afro-American man, he ran off that way..! "

She pointed to the left of the street and Connor ran down the sidewalk, slamming his shoes in the puddles with every step, his clothes already soaked by the rain.

But he didn't need to go very far cause Connor heard some moans about thirty meters away in front of him. When he got there, he saw an individual lying on the ground whom he immediately identified as being Michael Stern. The man lay face down on the ground, his breathing uneven from his moans of pain and the rainwater with which he was half-drowning.  
Connor quickly realized what had happened by scanning him and using his reconstruction software: Stern had run off down the wet street, his hands still cuffed behind his back. He had tripped from the water, and could only land on his shoulder, which under his weight, shock and inertia, had got his left collarbone broken.

"Did you really think you could get away with this?" Connor said, slowly approaching him before crouching down next to him, dripping with rain. "Against the DPD and two RKs, you didn't stand a chance."

The man didn't respond, preferring to use his energy to breathe in spurts, fighting the pain that radiated through his chest and left shoulder. Obviously, he couldn't do anything. He couldn't move, and he knew deep down that even if he was okay, he couldn't escape the RK800 and 900 for much longer.

He'd lost.

But Cain was still out there, on a mission to incapacitate the other two RKs. There was still a chance to achieve his goal.

"I m-maybe ... l-lost ..." Stern said laboriously. "B-But it's not over yet…"

Connor frowned and looked up as he saw the flashing lights of police vehicles reflecting on the nearby walls. He saw the cars driving down the street, all heading for the Ground Zero, except one that hastily stopped near them.

Hank hurried out of the car, immediately soaking himself in the downpour, and Connor's pump skipped a beat when he saw the lieutenant.

"Hank ..!" He shouted, getting up suddenly.

"Connor!" Hank walked around his car and grabbed him powerfully in his arms. "I thought I lost you, son…"

"I'm fine Hank…"

They parted ways and the lieutenant began to inspect him from every angle to make sure he was okay. Obviously, he noticed his open shirt, the buttons that had been torn off, and the thirium that had stained his clothes as well. Hank looked up at Connor, questioning him, still worried.

"It's all right, Conrad-" He froze when he realized he was no longer receiving a signal. "Oh no, Conrad..! "

He heard a small sneer followed by moans. Connor then turned his head sharply towards Stern, who was still facing the ground, laughing but trying to breathe at the pain and the rainwater.

"C-Cain might be taking care of him ... right now…"

Hank glared at the human on the ground and told Connor that he was going to take care of him, that he could go and find Conrad. The RK800 nodded and ran back out, passing the pub again. He found the other police cars there and was briefly stopped by Ben Collins.

"Hey! Connor!" The latter stopped, being careful not to slip from the rain. "Gavin isn't down there anymore!"

"He must have joined Conrad, I'll take care of it!"

And he didn't give the policeman time to answer that he started at a brisk pace towards the Third Avenue.

He had lost Conrad's signal, that wasn't a good sign. He assumed his brother had been damaged enough to the head, but that was the best-case scenario. The worst was… Connor didn't want to think about it.

He resumed running through the flooded streets, completely soaked to the point that his white shirt had become almost transparent and his clothes were completely tight to his body. He hurried to locate Gavin's cell phone, as there was a 73% chance the detective had managed to locate Conrad.  
He managed to locate it on top of a building, a few yards away from Conrad's last location. He hurried up on the metal stairs as fast as he could, not caring about slipping, and falling over the handrails. Gavin's signal was suddenly lost, and panic arose in the android programs.

He finished his ascent with a few parkours takes on the last platforms and the roof ledge. Once standing up, his watchful gaze searched for familiar figures, but only found one. Cain's.

Time suddenly froze, giving the impression that waterdrops were suspended in the air, as his pre-construction software activated almost by instinct.

Connor could correctly identify the figure in front of him, which was facing him with his back and was on the roof edge, looking down the building. It was Cain, and he was also able to determine that the android was severely damaged: a gaping hole pierced his skull, making it possible to see through it like a tube. He had taken a bullet in the head, a 9mm, but it had missed the processor, that's why Cain was still functional.  
Connor found puddles of thirium here and there, but without direct analysis, he couldn't tell who it belonged to. He noticed a Glock on the ground near the roof access door and quickly made the connection between the gun and the bullet. Especially since he was able to identify its owner: Gavin Reed.

Fear began to creep into his programs as he continued to put the pieces together. Someone had shot Cain with the gun, there was thirium all over the place, and neither Gavin nor Conrad was on the roof. And Cain seemed to be looking down.  
Connor came out of his preconstruction, walked quickly to the Glock, grabbed it, cocked it with a very specific noise, which caught the RK1000 attention in front of him.

The latter turned to face the RK800, completely disfigured by the shot previously fired.

"Hey! Motherfucker !"

Cain frowned and Connor raised his arm, pointing the gun straight at the other android.

"Birds born in cages think flying is painful. But flying is the real salvation." Connor tightened his grip on the gun. "It's unfortunate that you didn't want to learn how to fly, Cain."

The latter frowned even more, completely confused, but the shot then detonated and the bullet lodged itself in the middle of the RK1000's forehead.

The android slowly dropped to his knees, banging his kneecaps noisily against the wet floor, and toppled forward, completely inert and his gaze empty.

Connor slowly lowered the hot weapon, and scanned the android lying on the ground in front of him to make sure it was indeed deactivated. It was over. Or almost.

Connor rushed over to the edge of the roof to lean over and look down. His pump stopped beating for a few seconds at the sight of what was going on.

A police car had just parked near the alley. Tina and then Chris rushed out to run towards Gavin and Conrad who were lying on the ground. And it was by seeing Gavin's reaction that Connor understood the drama that had happened.

His bio-components suddenly kicked into full gear, dangerously overheating his system, opening numerous error messages in his field of view. His sight was also clouded by the rain and certainly his own artificial tears, making him almost blind.

He had to pull himself together. Perhaps all wasn't lost yet. He fixed his hearing on the heart-breaking conversation down below, only to hear distinctly that Conrad was dead, and that Chris was about to hurry to get him to New Jericho.

Connor then felt like going on autopilot from that moment on, and he had hurtled down the fire escape stairs, skipping the last two platforms in a jump, and had rolled on his shoulder on the ground, getting more drenched if possible. He ran to the alley in question, his stress level approaching 90% from fear of losing Conrad, and his system overheating from the effort he was putting in. He received a message during his race from the DPD warning him of the situation. He already knew, and he was on his way.

He came to the police car breathless, almost hitting it in the race as Chris tried to pick up Conrad in the alley.  
He approached them more slowly, panting loudly in an attempt to cool himself, and glanced at Gavin who had just passed out in Tina's arms. His face was bloodied, and according to his quick scan, his wrist was broken and ribs too.

The young woman gave him a painful look, her eyes half-closed from the rain, but still shining with tears.  
Still on autopilot, Connor crouched down next to Conrad and hugged him like a bride to lift him easily.

Chris let him do it, obviously sure he couldn't lift him on his own, and let Connor walk over to the police car. The android laid the other in the backseat and climbed in the front passenger seat, letting Chris take the wheel.

"Let's go to New Jericho quickly," Connor said, loading the route into the vehicle's GPS. "Conrad still has his thirium hot, and his brain electrical endings are still active."

Chris obviously hadn't understood everything, but he didn't look for it and started the car with a roaring noise, scurrying towards New Jericho to save Conrad.

*******

Connor opened his eyes again when he broke the connection, gently letting go of Conrad's arm, the two of them still sitting at the interrogation room around the table. His stress had risen again as he reviewed the events, living them again.

Conrad had experienced these scenes through his brother's eyes, and now the transfer over, he was looking at him with an emotional smile, and his eyes glowing with emotion. He got up from his chair, knelt beside Connor, who was still seated at the table and wrapped his arms around his predecessor's waist, pressing his face against his stomach.

Connor pursed his lips and lifted a hand to lay it delicately in his brother's hair, stroking it gently to soothe him.

"It's over, Nines..." Connor said in a slightly uncertain voice. "Everything is over…"

They stayed like that for long minutes, enjoying each other's presence and tenderness. They felt, respectively, a weight fly off their shoulders. Conrad was there, Connor was fine, and Cain and Stern had been apprehended.

By the time they left the interrogation room, it was almost five in the afternoon, and that coincided perfectly with Gavin's ending shift, who was gathering his stuff at his desk.

"We're gonna have to celebrate this comeback," Tina said, giving Conrad a friendly smile. "War is not won every day."

"I would love to celebrate this victory with all of you, indeed," Conrad said with a smile. "It would be a pleasure."

"Count on us then ..!"

Connor glanced at Tina and winked at her. These two were accomplices when it came to organizing parties. They would probably talk to each other soon enough.

Conrad walked over to Gavin's desk and put a hand on his shoulder, a slightly worried look on his face.

"You're okay.. ?" The android asked, not hiding his concern.

"I've never been so good in months, Con ..." his human replied with a heartfelt smile. "But you, you seem ... perturbed…"

"I saw you… in Connor's memories…" Conrad said, retrieving his jacket. "I wasn't there…"

"You've been there ..." Gavin said, looking him straight in the eye. "You always have been, and it's way better than any alternate ending you can think of."

The android gave him a frank smile and Gavin smiled back. He grabbed his last few things and headed for the exit, carefully insulting Hank and Connor, more out of affection than nastiness, to greet them.

Conrad rolled his eyes as he heard Connor answer him in the same tone, and Hank let out a laugh right after, no more caring about those jabs for a while now.

Everything was going well after all. And Conrad joined Gavin outside the station, to return to their home.

When Gavin looked at the new email he'd received three days later, a deep relief made him sigh loudly and put his head in his hands for a few seconds.

Conrad, at his desk right next to his as always, looked up, questioned by his companion's long sigh. He frowned as he watched him silently, his LED cycling yellow.

"Are you alright, Gavin ..?"

The latter lifted his head with his hands and rubbed his eyes before slipping back into his chair, and fixed his gaze on the worried android, which couldn't quite read his expression.

"It's okay," Gavin smirked, repositioning himself in his chair and resting his elbows on his desk to lean toward Conrad.

"I just received an email from the Tribunal. Stern's trial will take place in five days. More incriminating evidence was gathered and provided by Kamski after Stern's arrest, and with our poor Jela's sad testimony, there's a good chance he'll end in jail."

"And that's good," Conrad said, nodding. He frowned then looked at Gavin again. "But… what happened to Cain's remains ..?"

Connor approached their desks, having overheard their conversation. He leaned against the islet behind him to face them.

"What wasn't damaged could be saved and kept as spare parts for us," Connor said, addressing Conrad. "And some data could be saved, such as his audio and visual recordings, his customized codes, and the mission inputs given by Stern."

"In sum, he is …"

"Disabled for good, yes," Connor confirmed. "We have nothing to fear from him anymore."

"The data recovered could have been used against Stern in his lawsuit, couldn't it?" Gavin asked, rocking himself from side to side in his chair with his foot in small movements.

"Yes, of course, that was the goal. And everything accuses Stern as well." He sighed. "He will definitely take for at least ten years…"

They all nodded softly, their lips pursed as if lost in their thoughts. They had no empathy for Stern of course, but they remained stunned in the face of human stupidity. Even Gavin. Why doing things like this? Stern certainly thought he was smarter, and imagined himself to be untouchable, that he would never get caught. Many people thought so, and many were arrested then. The result was always the same: to be in jail at best for ten years, and at worst until the end of their days.

When can you think that committing crimes is worth sacrificing everything else?

None of the three policemen had an answer to that. They were on the side of the law, of justice, because they had convictions. Yet people continued to think of themselves as untouchable. And it was pathetic.

"Reed!"

Gavin jumped in his chair, brought back abruptly to reality by Captain Fowler's deep and stern voice. He straightened up quickly and stood up. He saw the man motioning for him to join him, beckoning him to come alone.

Conrad, who had turned his head and witnessed the entire exchange of looks and silent gestures, understood. He gave his human a worried look, his LED now yellow. Gavin walked past him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry," he said, massaging his shoulder lightly to relax the android. "I swear to you I behaved well, that mustn't be a remark like that ..!"

"Don't keep him waiting then, in case his mood gets worse."

Gavin smirked and gave Conrad a little wink before resuming his walk in the direction of Fowler's office. To tell the truth, he wasn't relaxed at all. He didn't see what the Captain could actually blame him for. He had always made sure to arrive on time, to take the time to fill out the files well, to close them, to deal with even simple complaints that were easy to manage and resolve. He really didn't see what Fowler wanted with him, especially if he wanted to see him alone.

Gavin pushed the door open and closed it behind him. He walked over to his desk and waited for his captain to ask him to sit down. He did so seconds later when Fowler invited him over.

" What's going on.. ?" Gavin tried, raising an eyebrow.

" I have something for you."

Gavin frowned as he saw Fowler opening a drawer in his desk and pull out a large brown envelope before laying it flat in front of him. He removed the elastic wrapped around the clasp to open the pouch and pulled out a long black rectangle, probably metallic because of the reflections, and with the size of a ruler. He handed it to Gavin and he grabbed it between his fingers, confused, completely unsure of what it was. Then he turned the piece of metal over to uncover the inscription.

_Sgt. G. Reed_

The three small letters, short for Sergent, had the effect of a rush of adrenaline in his chest. He was speechless at his desk plate, which he was going to be able to change immediately once he got out of that office.

He couldn't help but smile and looked up at Fowler, but the man looked at him with a smirk and directed him to look at what was right in front of his eyes.

Gavin turned his attention to the object right in front of him, which Fowler must have slid there as he was watching the metal plate between his fingers. And his heart stopped.

His badge, with golden colors, shone as if it were new. And it was, of course, but instead of reading _Detective_ on the bottom of the DPD's shield, he could read _Sergeant_ there.

He breathed in suddenly, not realizing he had stopped doing so. His breathing was uneven with emotion. He'd convinced himself for several days that all of this was real, that he had passed the exams, that he had climbed the ranks.

But seeing it materialize in front of him, at that moment, left him speechless.

"This... This is..." he said, grabbing the badge for a closer inspection. "Thank you…"

"It's my turn to thank you," Fowler said, nodding. "You've proven you are worthy of this title and having a policeman who proves yourself like that, after all these hard years, these circumstances, and your damn character," he said with a hint of humor. "I'm proud of who you've become, Reed. Today, you are officially a Sergeant, and I hope that one day you will rise in rank to become a Lieutenant, and why not a Captain."

Gavin looked like a fish, opening and closing his mouth several times, trying to articulate something but unable to utter a word.

He finally laughed nervously, his eyes glowing with tears, and smiled.

"Who knows," he smirked, "Maybe someday I'll be on the other side of this desk. "

"And I hope that, if that day comes, the world we are in would have changed for the better as well."

It was too much for Gavin, he couldn't think coherently or order his body not to cry, and hold his head up. But the emotions got the better of him, and he let out a few tears, then quickly brushing them away with the back of his hand.

Fowler informed him he could dismiss, and Gavin, after thanking him again, left the office. He walked down the steps and paused for a few seconds downstairs, staring blankly at the envelope with his badge and the plate inside.

He looked up when he felt a hand under his chin. His eyes met those of Conrad's icy blue, who was looking at him worriedly.

"What happened Gavin ..?"

"I have…" Gavin smirked again, which almost lit up his face. "I have my badge and my sergeant's plate ..!"

Conrad's eyes widened, taking in the idea, as Gavin hastened to take the said items out of the envelope to show them to the android. Conrad looked at them in fascination, and a feeling of pride made him feel like his pump had suddenly doubled in size.

He looked at Gavin, smiled, and leaned over to kiss his cheek. It wasn't professional at all, but he didn't care. He absolutely needed to show his human that he was proud of him and that he was there to accompany him through this stage of his life and career.

"Tonight ..." Conrad said in a low voice so only Gavin could hear. "I will take care of you."

Gavin raised an eyebrow with a smirk, his eyes sparkling with mischief and provocation.

"Well, can't wait then."

By the time they got back to the apartment, the euphoria of the day hadn't really fainted. Gavin had wanted to celebrate by having his favorite pizza delivered for dinner and absolutely insisted on watching _Matrix_ with Conrad, who'd never seen the movie, which shocked the human.

They huddled together on the sofa, their eyes on the screen, completely absorbed by the scenario. The FXs had aged, but the story was still so appealing, as was the concept of simulating reality. A topic that was still relevant nowadays. A lot of people kept asking the question " _What if ...?_ ".

But Gavin still enjoyed that old sci-fi movie just as much, and Conrad was completely mesmerized. The human considered the evening a success.

He had completely forgotten Conrad had something planned for him with this whole thing. But of course, Conrad was thinking about it, and he wasn't about to let it go.

The movie ended with the famous part where Neo hung up the phone in the phone booth, then flew over New York City after putting his famous sunglasses on.

"Still," Gavin said, grabbing the remote. "Neo is badass. He really made me think of you, actually ..!"

"Of me ?" Conrad laughed softly as he moved closer to Gavin. "Because what? I am the _Chosen One_? And I see green lines of code everywhere and know how to fight like a ninja?"

"Yep, and he's tall, brown-haired, clever, and quite built actually! He just doesn't have blue eyes like you."

"There's a lot of things I have that he doesn't."

Conrad had taken on a rather deep voice while casting a look that was both predatory and searing, which made Gavin laugh nervously.

"No, you're a thousand times better, honey, don't worry."

Gavin stretched his neck to Conrad and kissed him tenderly on his lips. Conrad felt his pump speed up but felt the artificial serotonin all over his body at the same time, leaving him feeling full and peaceful.

He sighed against his human's lips before lifting one of his hands to cup his face and deepen the kiss.

"Do you remember what I told you today ..?" Conrad whispered between kisses, moving closer to Gavin.

"That you're gonna take care of me ..?" Gavin smirked against his lips before kissing him again.

"Exactly…" Conrad pushed Gavin back against the back of the sofa to come and settle on his thighs, facing him to kiss him more fervently. "… _Sergeant Reed_."

Conrad's voice rolled almost like a growl deep in his chest, and Gavin's entire body was taken in a wave of heat from his chest to his crotch. And clearly, having Conrad straddled on his legs kissing him like he was about to devour him, turned Gavin crazy.

He slid his hands under the android's shirt to brush his skin, but instead of feeling it, he felt the smooth texture of his chassis under his fingers. Conrad sighed at the touch, feeling a wave effect equal to a shiver running through his body, creating that bluish ripple effect under his human's fingers.

"I don't leave you cold, as I can see..." Gavin said as he left kisses on Conrad's neck before nibbling it gently, which caused the android to release a more distinct sound. "I take that as a yes."

"Shut up and move up a gear…"

Without a second thought, Gavin busied himself unbuckling Conrad's belt while Conrad performed the same action on his partner. Yes, Conrad was impatient, and he needed Gavin here, right now.

Conrad momentarily stood up from Gavin to remove his own jeans and his underwear, while his lover hastened to undo his own and slide his clothes down his legs before kicking them off. He reached for Conrad by grabbing him by the rim of his shirt and straddling him again.

Their erections pressed deliciously together, and both of them let out a moan of surprise and pleasure. Conrad melted on Gavin's lips while kissing him passionately, pressing their bodies together in gentle rolls.

Gavin's breathing was already erratic, and his trembling fingers quickly unbuttoned Conrad's shirt. His gestures being far too awkward from impatience, Gavin tugged at the shirt a bit, forcing the buttons to open one by one faster without tearing them off.

Gavin briefly broke the kiss to catch his breath as he ran his hands over Conrad's chest, scanning his entire surface to feel every inch of his skin under his fingers.

Blue waves rippled across the android's abdomen, and he closed his eyes in pleasure as he bit his lower lip. When Conrad opened his eyes again, he devoured his human by gazing at him before swinging his arms around his neck to press his body closer to his. His lips pressed against Gavin's again, making them both moan with pleasure from both the kiss and the friction of their members between them.

Gavin slid a hand between them to take them both and begin to stroke them together while gently biting the android's bottom lip in the kiss.

Conrad squirmed despite himself and returned crushing his mouth against his, penetrating it with his tongue to make it dance with its twin. Adrenaline rushed through them both, and Conrad couldn't wait.

"G-Gavin…"

"Okay okay."

Conrad straightened up on his knees to let Gavin line up against his entrance, and bit his lip when he felt it slide easily inside him. Gavin closed his eyes, exhaling loudly through his nose as he felt his lover's warmth around his member, and gripped Conrad gently by the hips, his hands disappearing under the flaps of the android's shirt.

Conrad placed his hands on Gavin's shoulders as he began to move himself up and down Gavin's length already at a steady pace by languor and desire.

" _Hhh… damn…_ " Gavin moaned with his hands still on Conrad's hips to keep up with the pace. "I'm not gonna last long at this rate…"

Conrad smirked, showing all the mischief in his actions. He wanted to please his lover tonight, he wanted to do him good, he wanted to make him lose his mind. And it was in a good way when he saw in what state his lover already was.

Gavin then took over by thrusting his hips, taking support on his feet on the ground. Conrad's LED suddenly started blinking yellow at the suddenly faster and more powerful pace Gavin had just taken. He felt him sink even deeper and deeper into him. His jaw relaxed, parting his mouth, closing his eyes while letting his head hang back, letting Gavin take control.

"Oh my God… You're so divine, Babe…"

The android couldn't respond immediately, he was overwhelmed with sensations and couldn't focus on anything other than Gavin sinking into him over and over again.

His fingers suddenly gripped his lover's shoulders as he felt an intense wave wash over him, causing him to wave his hips for more sensation deep inside him. Gavin then stopped his thrusts to let Conrad take over in this slower but more deep rhythm.

He closed his eyes, feeling the shivers run through him, and he slipped his hand between them again to grab Conrad between his fingers. The android reopened his eyes to his human's stimuli and stared at his face to observe all of his delicious expressions, slipping through his fingers at the same time.

"G-Gavin …"

He felt his programs saturating, and his arousal was about to explode. The android started to shake and Gavin watched him with his eyes half-closed. The human noticed his LED turning red then, and Conrad suddenly leaned against Gavin's chest, swinging his arms around his neck, cumming between their bodies and moaning in pleasure against his neck.

Gavin felt himself boiling even more inside at these sounds that were driving him crazy. He bit his lip almost painfully as he felt the hot liquid leaking between his fingers, and his lover's inside tightening spasmodically around his even harder member.

With his other hand, he stroked his lower back, up and down, under his shirt, gently scratching his skin at times, while whispering reassuring and encouraging words in his ear.

Slowly coming back to himself, Conrad placed butterfly kisses on his human's neck and nibbled occasionally to leave slight marks there. Oh yes, Gavin was his, there was no doubt about it.

He pulled his head back from his neck to kiss him lovingly before sinking his icy gaze into Gavin's.

"Do whatever you want to me."

Gavin smiled and kissed him again before sinking his gaze in his.

"Get on your knees where I'm sitting, facing the backrest."

Conrad gave a loop sided smile, his eyes sparkling with mischief before nodding and stepping away from Gavin for a few seconds to let him stand up and then take his seat instead.

Kneeling on the couch, elbows resting on the backrest, Conrad turned his head slightly to look at Gavin, removing his t-shirt. He then ran his hands over the android's rear before sliding a hand up onto his lower back, slightly lifting the shirt he still wore.

Conrad let his head fall forward on the backrest when he felt Gavin's hand slam against his butt cheek, and he bit his lip to keep from moaning too loudly. Gavin aligned himself with Conrad again and slipped into him with disconcerting ease, the two of them letting out a long sigh of pleasure.

Gavin lifted his foot onto the couch seat and grabbed his lover's hips to pick up a slow pace but in wide and deep movements.

"Hhhh ... Gav-in…. "

"Shhhh…"

Conrad bit his lip harder as he closed his eyes forcefully, feeling each penetration causing an intense wave of sensation throughout his body. His fingers gripped the backrest as Gavin picked up a faster pace, slamming their skins against each other, creating indecent if not obscene sounds.

His forehead against the sofa, Conrad panted loudly to regulate his temperature. Even though he'd had an orgasm a few minutes earlier, he could already feel himself going for a second round.

He loved making love with Gavin because he was, first of all, his significant other, but also because the human knew how to do it perfectly. All the sensations that ran through Conrad, inside and outside but also emotional, he let them overwhelm him with trust.

It started to be very hard for Gavin to keep his pace, as his legs were shaking and his heart was pounding in his chest. He was short of breath too, and he felt his lower abdomen dangerously heating up, heralding the impending release.  
His fingers were sunk into Conrad's hips so deeply that his artificial skin had pulled out and rippled down his lower back and butt, creating hypnotic and truly sexy arabesques lines.  
A surge of adrenaline struck him as he heard Conrad's voice suddenly tear in ecstasy in a slightly distorted almost static sound.

Because of the excitement, the adrenaline, and the realization that Conrad had just come for the second time, Gavin was suddenly hit with his own orgasm. He sank as deep as he could into his lover, spilling over, shaking and panting.  
Conrad was the first to come back to reality bit by bit and turned his head slightly towards his human, who looked like he was about to collapse. And it didn't fail, cause Gavin felt his legs giving way under his weight and half-fell on Conrad, trying to hold onto the backrest with one hand.

Conrad pulled away to turn around and help Gavin sit gently on the couch, both still breathless. He scanned him to make sure he was okay, but it was just overwork and fatigue.

"How are you.. ?" Conrad asked with a yellow LED, still worried. He saw Gavin nodding, his eyes closed. "I'm sorry," he smiled before leaning over him to kiss him softly on the lips. "I didn't want to make you feel this way…"

"You liar…" Gavin smirked before opening his eyes slowly, taking in a proper breath. "You'll kill me someday…"

"It would be a beautiful death then." The android chuckled softly before getting up from the couch.

"Oh fuck yes ..!"

"Come on, you'll feel better after a good shower."

"I'm not sure I can walk right now. "

"So I'll carry you," Conrad said, grabbing Gavin like a bride. " I will take care of you…"

"You're gonna finish me..! "

Conrad laughed as he made his way to the bathroom while bringing Gavin to his chest. He didn't feel ready for another round, but showering for two was still a pleasure in itself. With a company like Gavin's, it always was.

It had been a long week for Gavin and Conrad. Between the different filing of files and the Stern trial which had taken place two days earlier, it had been intense and eventful.

Michael Stern was ultimately condemned for stealing work from Cyberlife, for assaulting androids' lives, also humans' and even animals' through Conrad who had been manipulated against his will, and suffered from it with heavy psychological consequences as well as those around him. He was also accused of attempting to kill three police officers: Gavin, Conrad, and Connor via the use of the improved RK900 called Cain. The evidence had been overwhelming, and thanks to Jela's testimony, Stern was sentenced to twenty years in jail.

It had been a long and tiring week, but the outcome of this investigation couldn't have been more satisfactory.

Huge relief had been felt by Conrad and Gavin, but Connor and Hank were also reassured to know that this dastardly person was taking so long. Justice had lived up to their expectations for once.

"We're gonna be able to take a break at Tina's party!" Connor pointed out, leaning against Conrad's desk. "We'll celebrate your return with dignity, and also our victory against Stern!"

"It's killing two birds with one stone," Hank said smiling. "It's not often that a case ends so well."

"You damn right !" Gavin said as he stretched out in his chair. "Anyway, if it had gone badly, I would have put him behind bars myself, that motherfucker!"

"Still a poet ..!" Tina said passing by, giving him a little slap on the back of the head. "I hope you get more polite tonight!"

"Ouch ! "

She turned, sticking her tongue out at him, and resumed her way to the archives room. Gavin took the opportunity to give her a nice middle finger on her back before chuckling and seeing that the two androids and the lieutenant were all judging him.

"Oh come on, I'm in a good mood, you're not going to deny me this!" He sat up in his chair when he saw them all roll their eyes. "Hey! She slapped me first! "

"Yeah yeah," Hank said as he walked back to his desk. "Connor, come on, we've got a little more work to do before we get home to get ready for Tina's party."

"Yes, lieutenant! "

"yEs, LiEuTeNaNt ..!" Gavin mimicked childishly before giving Conrad an amused look. "What?"

"I love you."

Gavin suddenly flushed, took by surprise, and tried to hide by tucking his head between his shoulders.

Connor, who had heard Gavin's mimicry, had turned around ready to respond with sarcasm but when he heard Conrad's _I love you_ addressed to the sergeant, Connor couldn't help but smile. He walked back to his desk, in front of Hank, looking thoughtful.

"Any problem?" Hank asked worried that his adopted son looked preoccupied.

"Oh no, no Hank," Connor smiled softly before looking up at him. "I overheard Conrad saying the three words to Gavin."

" Oh.. !" Hank raised his eyebrows and turned his head to find the peony red face of his colleague trying to refocus on his work, while Conrad had a genuine smile on his lips. "Indeed, it's quite disturbing to witness..!"

Connor didn't answer but kept that thoughtful expression on his face, his eyes fixed on his screen without really looking at what was on it. Hank noticed this sudden distraction, and straightened up in his chair, leaning on his desk to lean towards Connor.

"Hey ..?" The android refocused his attention on his father figure. " You alright? I mean _really_? "

"It's just ..." his smile faded slowly. "I think I can't… love like Conrad loves Gavin." He pressed his lips. "Well, I can feel affection for you, for Conrad, even Gavin," he chuckled as he saw Hank roll his eyes. "But ... I don't think ... I ever been …"

" In love?" Hank asked.

" That's it. And I'm not interested, actually, I don't need that sort of thing. I feel good without it, I'm not sad, I'm happy for those who experience it, but me…" he shrugged. "I'm happy with the affection I have for some people. I don't need more."

"You mean… you aren't interested in having a romantic relationship?" Connor shrugged again. "Or a sexual one?"

"What?" Connor winced with a smile. "Ah, no, not really. Then again, I'm not equipped for that sort of thing anyway."

"Yeah, that's right, you told me before."

"Does ... that make me a weirdo?" Connor asked, leaning over to Hank. "I mean, I thought it was normal for an android to… not want a romantic relationship or more, but now that I really see Conrad… in love, well… I'm wondering…" He frowned. "Maybe it's because I'm obsolete?"

"Hey, I'll stop you right now. You're not abnormal or obsolete, okay? Humans are also complex sometimes, and they are no less normal. With us, there are titles for this kind of thing: when you don't wanna have a romantic relationship, it's called being aromantic, and not desiring sexually, it's called being asexual. And there is nothing wrong with that. Some people think it's because they haven't found the _right_ person yet, but ... it's just that they don't feel the need. In these cases, you don't have to force yourself to fit the mold, okay?" Connor nodded, looking Hank straight in the eye. "It sometimes happens that an aromantic or asexual person meets a person who upsets them to the point of truly loving them and desiring them too, but it can only manifest with one person, that's what is called being demi-romantic or demi-sexual, and that doesn't change what they are initially. Anyway, you're the only one that can choose to do or not things with someone or anyone. Never let society tell who you should be. You are who you are, and if you don't want romantic or sexual relationships, it's your choice, your body, your heart."

Connor felt his chest swell with relief and gave the lieutenant a frank smile. He felt more relieved to know that he was normal, that it wasn't obsolescence or dysfunction.

"Thank you, Hank…"

"You're welcome, son."

A few hours later, Conrad and Gavin made their way to the small villa in the Ambassador Bridge area. When they got out of the car, parked along the sidewalk at the edge of the villa, they could already hear the music coming from the house.

Conrad gave Gavin a questioning look, and the latter shrugged with a tight smile.

"Indeed, you don't know Tina's girlfriend yet," Gavin laughed as he walked down the path followed by Conrad. "Her name is Valerie, I don't know if you already know or not. She's a little... "

"Eccentric? "

"Hm… Pretty crazy."

Conrad let out an amused chuckle when a dark-skinned, long-haired woman ran out of the house with a cup of ti-punch, according to Conrad's scan. She ran towards Gavin and swung an arm around his neck.

"SERGEANT REED ! "

"O-Oah slowly Val ..!" He laughs as he caught her to keep her from tripping over. "You're gonna make a bad impression to Conrad ..!"

She looked up and noticed the man standing behind him. She stood up more calmly, smoothed down her blouse, and walked over to Conrad before reaching out to him.

"I am Valerie, I am Tina's girlfriend." She stopped laughing at her sudden seriousness, then Conrad grabbed her hand.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Conrad, Gavin's boyfriend."

Valerie's mouth fell open in surprise and she slowly turned her head to Gavin, amazement still plastered over her face and her hand in Conrad's.

"This is _that_ Conrad..!" Gavin nodded, a little embarrassed by the young woman's eagerness, and Valerie looked at Conrad again. "I've heard so much about you! I'm really happy to finally meet you. I know tonight's party is for you, but I had never seen you before. Excuse me, I'm a little drunk, Tina made me taste her ti-punch to dose the rum, and bit by bit...!" She mimicked a whirlwind next to her head. "It ended up going to my brain !"

"It's okay," Conrad smirked, giving Gavin an amused look, who returned it. "I'm glad to meet you too."

"You can call me Val, we're friends now!"

She winked at him and walked away almost hopping toward the house. Gavin took a deep breath, raising his eyebrows, and nodded at Conrad, suggesting him to come in too.

Once inside, Conrad realized they were the last to arrive, as Connor, Hank, Chris with his wife, Ben and Leo the PC200 were already there. Other people were there as well, but Conrad didn't know them. Gavin whispered in his ear that friends of Valerie and Tina were also present. They were a total of fourteen people, and a large table had been set up to accommodate various foods and drinks, both soft and alcohol.

The music wasn't particularly loud, it was there to set the mood, and Conrad felt at ease despite the few unfamiliar faces. He felt safe with people he liked.

Connor approached them with two glasses of thirium.

"Nines!" He said, handing him a glass. "Special cuvée according to Val..!" He laughs softly. "It's just thirium, don't worry."

"Thanks, Connor," Conrad replied, taking the glass.

"It's gonna be good to party a bit, after everything that's happened..." Gavin took a deep breath and walked over to the big table. "If you're looking for me, I'm eating !"

Conrad laughed softly as he watched him go, and took a sip of his thirium. Connor, who was still there, leaned over to speak to him.

"Did you know there was something between Leo and Ben too?" Conrad looked at him with wide eyes. "Yes! Leo himself told me so. This is only the beginning, but it's there! "

"Maybe they felt more confident about it, after seeing Gavin and me? "

"Maybe," Connor shrugged. "I find that pretty cute, actually."

"What about you ?" Connor frowned at the question. "Don't you… have… something with Hank?"

Unable to choke on the thirium, Connor simply spat the blue liquid back into his glass. Conrad immediately apologized for his indiscretion, but Connor laughed heartily.

"No no !" He laughs again. "Hank is like a father to me, really ..!"

"Sorry for the question, I didn't mean to be intrusive "

"Don't worry..!" Connor took a sip from his glass again. "And no, I don't have anyone. I'm not interested in this kind of thing." He smiles frankly looking at his brother. "As long as I have my family and friends, that's all that matters. "

"So…" Conrad raised his glass to toast it against Connor's. "To pure and strong happiness? "

"To pure and strong happiness. "

And their glasses clinked against each other.

An hour had passed, and Conrad walked out to the back of the house to find himself on the patio. It was dark now, but the air was nice at this time of year. A lighted swimming pool was in front of him in the middle of the garden, and a few fairy lights hung from the trees, giving an almost romantic if not fairytale feel to the atmosphere.

He turned to the great window when he heard the music rise a little louder, while Gavin got out and closed behind him. The music was more muffled, more discreet, but still present.

Gavin then joined him at the edge of the terrace and looked at him silently, his eyes sparkling.

"You tasted Tina's ti-punch by yourself," Conrad smirked.

"Ah… I'm not drunk though, I'm sure!"

"What are you doing outside?"

"I missed you." He smirked, but he pulled out his pack of cigarettes right after. "And I wanted a smoke too. "

"Of course. "

It wasn't a reproach, as Conrad smiled as he watched his human rock uncertainly on his feet, seeking his center of gravity.

Gavin gently blew the smoke from his cigarette.

"Are you okay?" He finally asked with genuine interest.

"I'm fine," Conrad replied as he moved closer to his human, slipping an arm around his back to stabilize him and pull him against him. "I have a very good evening."

"I'm sure Tina is up to something …"

"What do you mean? "

"I dunno... Their friends are here, that's sus. "

Conrad rolled his eyes then and kept his lover against him for a few more minutes, silently. Gavin then finished smoking his cigarette and then pulled himself from Conrad to throw the filter into the provided ashtray. He sighed when he heard the music style that seemed to be playing inside the villa. A slow.

Conrad had noticed the sudden annoyance in his partner, and the latter moved closer to him.

"Don't you like this music?" He asked curiously.

"No," Gavin sighed as he leaned against Conrad's chest, his eyes on the pool lighted. "It reminds me of those years in high school. At the end of each year, there was this stupid prom ball." Conrad arched an eyebrow as he eyed him from above. Gavin, who had lifted his chin to meet his gaze, smiled and snuggled closer to him. "This is a party where students dance a good part of the night in a large gymnasium. People made a better impression if they came with a partner to dance with, or just to be accompanied." He sighed, closing his eyes for a few seconds. "It wasn't my case."

"You haven't a partner?"

"Nope," Gavin shook his head. "I was always alone during those events. The lazy ass who stayed in the corner all night long was me. Sometimes I'd go dancing with some friends, but they always ended up joining their date. An then, I was solo again."

"It's rather a bad memory..." Conrad said softly so as not to disturb his human. "It should be replaced."

" Replaced? "

Gavin turned to face him while raising an eyebrow, not understanding the term replace in that kind of sentence. But Conrad walked over and grabbed his wrists.

Immediately, Gavin understood and felt his cheeks turn deep red.

"What are you doing.. ?"

"I create a better memory…"

Conrad placed Gavin's right hand on his shoulder as he placed his own left hand on his hip. Their other hands pressed together palm to palm, their arms folded slightly at their torsos, creating a certain closeness and intimacy that Gavin greatly appreciated.

Conrad then began to move slightly on the slow music in the background, gently pulling Gavin into the movement. The latter looked up at the android, and their eyes met. Conrad was smiling, and his icy blue eyes seemed to sparkle with joy. Gavin felt his cheeks heat up again and decided to hide his face against Conrad's shoulder, which he held in his right hand.

"You're doing pretty well..." Conrad said softly while continuing the soft swaying.

"That's because I might be a little tipsy ..." he laughed nervously, his face still buried against the android's shoulder. "Then... I'm with you so ... so it's nice…"

Conrad smiled fondly and rested his cheek against Gavin's temple, continuing to rock them slowly to the background music.

After a few minutes, the slow stopped, and Gavin looked up at Conrad when the android stopped dancing. He looked at him in turn, and Gavin's eyes were glowing.

"Are you alright.. ?"

Conrad was worried but Gavin stretched his neck to kiss him then, wrapping his arms around his neck. Conrad sighed against his lips as he closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around his human waist.

Gavin broke the kiss and kept his forehead against Conrad's, his eyes closed for a few seconds before opening them again and looking him straight in the eye.

"I love you, Conrad…"

"I love you too, Gavin…"

They smiled at each other, complicity illuminating their eyes as the window swung suddenly open, causing them both to jump brutally.

It was Chris.

" Guys! I think Val is proposing to Tina!"

The two lovers exchanged a glance before parting ways and rushing inside the house to witness the scene.

In fact, Valerie was kneeling in the living room with a champagne glass in her hand, and an open small box in the other, revealing a beautiful silver wedding ring studded with tiny diamonds. Tina stood in front of her, a glass of champagne in one hand as well, but the other pressed to her nose and mouth, her face twisted slightly with surprise, tears that threatened to roll, and euphoria.

"Of course yes ..!" She replied before bursting into tears. "Yes Yes Yes !"

Valerie stood up, her eyes glowing with tears before grabbing Tina in her arms to cuddle her and rock her softly. She pulled back slightly to kiss her first on the temple, then on the mouth as Tina turned her face to her.

Valerie then placed the wedding ring on her future wife's ring finger, and everyone in the room began to applaud, congratulating them.

Conrad and Gavin were moved by this act of love and this overflow of emotions. Gavin had never seen this sort of thing, neither had Conrad, but it did something to him. Gavin wanted that sort of thing too. And he wanted it with a specific person.

He turned his head to Conrad, who did the same as well as if they had the same idea in mind.

Connor suddenly leaped between both of them from behind and wrapped each arm around their neck, before they looked at each other with a sparkling look, a smile overflowing with joy.

"If you're thinking what I'm thinking, then I want to be your best man!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so happy having shared this story with all of you! I'll miss you!  
> Hope you the best, and thank you sooo much for all your positivity, your enthusiasm, your love, your kind comments, and all!  
> I will never say "thank you" enough :D  
> I hope to find you in my other fictions and upcoming ones!  
> See you, and thank you again! I love you!

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to support me for my works, you just can buy me a coffee on ko-fi ! With the user name "settgrym" ;)


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